Eclipsed Sun
by LilyPhantomhive01
Summary: A fiery-headed boy decides that hiding his scars is easier that facing his nightmares. Unwilling to shatter the world he's built, he manages to create the perfect illusion, for himself and those around him. But what happens when his nightmare comes knocking on his door, threatening to engulf him completely? And how does a certain bespectacled boy play into the picture? C. 14updated
1. Prologue : THE BOY WHO CRIED WOLF

Haikyuu Project

Obligatory Disclaimer: I do not own Haikyuu! or any of its characters/settings. All rights belong to the author/mangaka/what-have-you. Any additional characters or settings are mine.

Title: Eclipsed Sun

Summary:A fiery-headed boy decides that hiding his scars is easier that facing his nightmares. Unwilling to shatter the world he's built, he manages to create the perfect illusion, for himself and those around him. But what happens when his nightmare comes knocking on his door, threatening to engulf him completely? And how does a certain bespectacled boy play into the picture?

Previous summary: Tsukishima Kei. Hinata Shouyou. Two people at odds most of the time. What happens when a boy so engrossed in his envious state lashes out? Hinata may be adept at hiding things from Bakageyama, the obtuse setter of Karasuno High, but maybe not from their sarcastic blocker. When emotions run wild, people often say things they regret. (I ship KageHina. Period. But to get the ball rolling you see more of Tsukishima in this than Kageyama)

Warning: Non-consensual sex (read: Rape), child abuse, sarcastic hurtful comments that'll leave even the toughest guys butt hurt (but we love Tsukishima anyway)

NOW ON TO THE ANGST!

PROLOGUE

 **THE BOY WHO CRIED** **WOLF**

The boy stood concentrating, every ounce of his being entirely focused on the ball at the other end of the court. Now was not the time to panic. He breathed in, feeling the heat, the smell of sweat, the brightness of the court. His bright brown eyes darted to the flimsy board which presented their score against their opponent.

24-23

Match point: Aoba Josai

The Grand King took a swooping breath in, his eyes sharper than usual. There is restlessness in the air. The spectators hold their breath. The opponents cannot afford to do so. Oikawa breaths out, having that mad glint in his eyes that's present every time he's about to make a server's ace. The boy, barely reaching 162cm braced himself. Lowering his body, he glared at the other team's captain. He could almost hear Oikawa whispering: "I'll break that spirit of yours."

He tossed the ball high, his legs bent, takes the jump and-

 _It's uncomfortable. The heat is unbearable._

A distorted image of Oikawa mid-jump, a face leering in the darkness, someone screaming- it sounds close, too close-

" _You're awfully quiet tonight-"_

The ball is received by Daichi-san, their ever reliable captain. The tsk coming from The Grand King could be heard from the other side of the court. The boy dashes forward, this is it! Chance ball-

 _A dark room, aching limbs. What time is it? What day? And the ever present hunger that never ceases-_

The ball flies to Kageyama. Wall. Avoid. He can almost see the trajectory of the ball. A split-second, that's all he has, a split-second to be faster, to be unpredictable, and jump, jump jump-

 _Disorientation. Like getting hit in the head and experiencing a concussion. But he's fine right? Always fine. Right? Then whose ragged breathing is this? Whose hands are shaking?_

 _The sound of footsteps. Run. RUN._ _ **RUN**_ _!_

" _Help."_

In a house on the other side of a mountain, a boy with fiery red hair wakes, gasping for breath. He looks to his right at a digital clock. 3.24 A.M. He clutches his chest, willing his heart to be still. A moment passes.

Silence beckons him to sleep. The boy wipes the sweat from his brow and yawns. He turns back to his side, all traces of worry gone from his face. The only evidence left of his nightmare slowly vanishing from his forehead as his sweat dries. 3.25 A.M.

Haikyuu -

* * *

A/N: Um… HELLO! I am new to fan fiction . net . Please show me the ropes?

Also, main idea of this story: Hinata needs help, more than he realizes. Tsukishima notices one day. Not Hinata-gets-raped-by-stranger-needs-therapy fanfic. I guess something much darker? Reminiscent of Harada-sensei but without supporting the weird rape logic?

Do I EVEN MAKE SENSE?! FML, it is 1.51 a.m. More stuff coming soon tomorrow. I promise to update at least twice a week, but since the story's just starting, expect multiple entries soon.


	2. Chapter 1 : THE AWAKENING

Haikyuu! Project

Eclipsed Sun

Chapter One – The Awakening

 **THE MOON**

He isn't very sure when it started.

It was first curious glimpses, prolonged stares, sometimes even outright glaring. Little by little he feels as though he caught on to something he'd rather not know. As though the very knowledge of this secret could change his entire perspective in life.

" _Don't tell anyone- you can't tell-"_

" _What the hell… what the_ _ **hell**_ _was that Hinata?!"_

" _Please, not the team-"_

 _Tsukishima gripped his hands tighter, willing himself to calm down. Calm Down. He cannot think like this, so he must calm down._

 _He closes his eyes, ignores the stench of vomit in the air._

" _Alright," he says, his voice sounding alien to his ears, "explain to me what the hell that was."_

 _And Hinata, though reluctant, does._

Perhaps more explanation is needed.

You see, Tsukishima Kei, since a very young age has had one way of thinking: Logical. If something seems off, then something must be wrong somewhere. He regards emotions with much resentment, acknowledging its existence but wishing very much they didn't bother him so much (like flies).

This comparison has made Yamaguchi laugh in the past, on more than one occasion.

Upon starting middle school his entire view on volleyball (and life in general) has been altered after witnessing his brother's lie, and the lengths he went to just for a club. He then became more jaded than he already was. Not that he had blamed his brother much. He had always seen too much of the world. The weak was constantly bullied; be it in elementary school, or even against countries. People lie relentlessly to get their way, sometimes to gain favours, other times to stab you in the back.

He had always been a smart boy, so he picked up on a lot of things at an incredibly fast pace. The price? He grew up too fast. But he never seemed to mind this though. In fact, when asked, he seemed almost boastful about being so jaded.

"You _still_ believe in miracles?" is a snide he once made to his 9 year old cousin.

When he went to Karasuno High, the very definition of teamwork has left him in awe. Not that he would ever outright admit it. He had too much pride in his heart, too much ego in his head. When facing against the elite Kageyama and his somewhat lacking sidekick Hinata, he was opened to a new world of volleyball, where idiocy ran a mock and potential knew no bounds.

Of course when asked he would simply brush it aside and say it was all to be expected. Kageyama came from Kitagawa Daiichi, an elite school filled with elite team mates and top notch coaches. Hinata Shouyou was infinitely gifted with an almost unnatural sense of athleticism, an unlimited source of stamina and the will to take on the world.

Everything and everyone was so damned predictable it was almost funny. He would wake up, go to school, ace exams and attend club. Nothing was going to change in the small town of Miyagi, especially in the insignificant life of Tsukishima Kei.

And then one day it did.

He honestly didn't know when it first started. If he thinks back really hard, it might've started 3 weeks ago, around the time exams finished.

It wasn't bad, or even remotely problematic. But it was distracting. Tsukishima hardly ever engages with anyone (willingly) except Yamaguchi. Suffice to say that he never really pays much attention to anyone unless he feels the need to. Though it irks him to admit it, he's probably the first (or the only one) who noticed it.

Hinata's quirks.

It started with a simple twitch. They had gone through an especially tiring practice. Spirits were high with everyone feeling that sense of accomplishment after a long day of practice. Hinata was chatting animatedly with Kageyama near the underused stage. It just so happened to be directly in front of where Tsukishima's bottle currently resides. He saunters over, feeling relief that practice was finally over (though it wouldn't surprise him if everyone suddenly decides they wanted a second helping of practice five minutes from now).

"Hey, Hinata, after this want your senpai to show you his Rolling Thunder 2.0?"

Hinata squeals unintelligible sounds, his eyes sparkling as though he had just been handed the world.

Tsukishima sighed inwardly. The Karasuna Volleyball team really are all demons. He closes the distance between him and his bottle, only half listening to what Yamaguchi was saying. Something about what Sayu, their classmate said to him during P.A.

He reached for his bottle, and looked down.

Fear.

Hinata's eyes were wide, almost like saucepans. His mouth was paused in a gasp that was inaudible. He literally froze up in front of Tsukishima. He had seen fear displayed by the small spiker countless times, even times when it was seriously warranted. But he never looked like this.

Tsukishima had joked to Yamaguchi about the many times he had witnessed fear. Like staring down on a shorter boy, or glaring at a particularly nosy classmate. But none of them ever looked like this,

As soon as it appeared it was gone. The sound of Nishinoya and Kageyama conversing brought Hinata back to earth from wherever he was and the group started casually walking towards the court.

"Tsukki? Are you listening?" Yamaguchi asks.

He hums, as he usually does. And almost, Tsukishima lets it go, because it doesn't concern him anyway. He glances towards Hinata one more time, hearing the exultations from Nishinoya-senpai's Rolling Thunder 2.0 and Kageyama's expression of approval.

Hinata has a watery smile on his face, his small hand clutching his chest, as though to contain something that might overspill.

/N: GOMENASAI. Holidays had just ended and me being myself have left a huge pile of holiday work unfinished. But I keep to my promise, twice a week. Let me know if there's anything strange or weird or inconsistent about this fanfic!


	3. Chapter 2 : MUDDLED MINDS

Chapter 2: Muddled Minds

 **THE SUN**

It was simply mind over matter. That's what it was. That's all it was.

If you label something as impossible; believe it with every fibre of your being, no matter how hard you try you'll never succeed. It was simple enough to understand, logical enough to put into practice.

It is this very mind-set that has made Hinata Shouyou resilient in the face of adversaries, whether they come in the form of tall teammates and opponents alike, or genetic deficiencies in height.

So, mind over matter. The same thing can be applied to everything else in life, right?

 _Tsukishima found out,_ Hinata panics inwardly. Why, why was he so careless? It was supposed to be just another regular day after practice. He's supposed to finish training and go home with Kageyama. Discuss stupid useless volleyball-related things on the way home, then take a long bath followed by a good night's rest.

 _Tsukishima found out,_ Hinata finds it hard to breathe, worries he'll hyperventilate and vomit _again_. He grabs his chest, willing himself to calm down, unaware of the worried look Tsukishima is directing towards him. On any other day, he probably would've teased Tsukishima for showing a shred of interest in his well-being.

Then again, this wasn't any other day.

"Hinata," Tsukishima says, his right hand raised but hanging awkwardly mid-air.

"I- I can't-" Hinata wheezes out. At this Tsukishima nearly growls.

"You can't brush me off again, Hinata. This isn't 'nothing'. This isn't something you should even face alone-" He pauses for a while, hesitates because he doesn't want to assume. "Just tell me what that was, Hinata. What the hell was that guy doing to you?"

A painful expression crosses Hinata's face as he remembers what happened just a few minutes ago. He clenches his small fists, his eyes tearing at the sides.

"I can't!" He whines, "If I say something-" If I say something I might not be able to pretend anymore, I'm scared, afraid, I don't want to spell it out, I don't want to say it because if I do

"I can't-" Hinata whispers, almost inaudible, he covers his face with his right arm, his left hand still clutching his chest.

"I can't."

/Haikyuu/

This never would've happened if he hadn't gone to Karasuno. Maybe he should've just gone to the High School around his neighbourhood.

Hinata Shouyou may not be the most popular guy in his old school, but most could easily pinpoint the fiery-haired, hyperactive senior-at-the-time. His childhood friends Yuki and Koji would attest that Hinata was a great friend to have, hilarious most of the time and horrible at studying.

In fact, he despises studying to a degree which would baffle even the laziest bum of Yukigaoka Junior High.

So when he was found in the school library one afternoon, studying his brains off, his best friends did a double take.

"Shouyou? Is that actually you?" Koji says, mystified. He puts his hands behind his head and whistles. "Never thought I'd see the day when you'd visit the library willingly."

Yuki nudges him at the side. "Don't be mean, Koji." They walk to where Hinata is situated, his face stern as though picking a fight with his Maths book.

"Koji, Yuki," He turns to them, his eyes watering, "I don't understand."

At this Koji laughs and Yuki tries to hide a smile. "I'll help you out." Yuki says, taking a seat opposite Hinata. At this Hinata immediately perks up, his eyes starry.

"Thank you, Yuki! You're a life saver!"

"Shhh!" was the reply, followed by a few mumbled "sorry" to the small crowd around them. Some of them, recognizing Hinata, laughs a bit.

"Why are you so gung-ho in studying anyway, not that that's a bad thing. Kpji could learn from you."

Koji's mumbled protests stopped at the sight of Hinata's serious expression.

"I want to get into Karasuno." He says, something akin to determination written on his face. "I'll be the next little giant."

Yuki and Koji looks at each other and smiles.

"Well, not with a single digit score you're not." Koji says, instantly turning Hinata's determined face into a puddle of desperation.

"Yukiiiii~"

"Alright, alright. What don't you understand?"

/Haikyuu/

Hinata hums on the way back home, his spirits high. Maths wasn't so bad once you got the formula right. He was busy toying with the idea of joining the math club in Karasuno he didn't notice the man lurking at the turn beside him.

Arms. Big and strong grappled at Hinata. He tries to struggle, about to yell when a clothed hand presses against his face. Before he succumbs to the darkness he sees bright brown eyes staring at him, the sides wrinkled in a smile.

* * *

A/N : Alright, shit's about to hit the fan.

Snickerdoodle22: Hahahhaha more is here! Hope it entertained you well.

titania2811: Woahh, a senpai. Hhahahaha, I've been here for a long time but I've never actually written a fanfiction and gone through with posting it.

Natsuko : Thanks for reading! And Commenting. You the real MVP *cries*


	4. Chapter 3: THE ART OF FEAR (part one)

Warning: Very dark themes. The M rating is there for a reason.

* * *

Chapter 3: THE ART OF FEAR (part one)

The Sun

A boy opens his eyes, feels his head heavy against the concrete floor. He doesn't remember how he got there. All he knows is that his head hurts, there is a throbbing in his skull between his eyes and a sudden urge to vomit makes him grab his mouth.

 _Where am I?_

He smells something akin to bleach, the same one his mother uses to clean the kitchen floor. It is dark but he makes outlines of weird shapes not too far from where he is lying on his side. His limbs are stiff from the cold.

 _Did I fall down on the way home?_

Although disoriented, the boy pushes himself up. He stops midway, his head spinning. After a moment of levelling himself, he looks around the darkness. Like a horror motion picture, the events before blacking out comes back.

Arms.

Bright brown eyes.

Kicking and trashing to no avail.

Slowly, the boy experiences real panic for the first time in his young life. His eyes start darting from corner to corner of the dark room, finally with purpose: find an exit. He pushes himself to stand, and walk to one side, noticing how small the room is. It couldn't have been bigger than his own room. He nearly trips over something, a box of some kind, but he dares not feel the contents.

Eventually he reaches a wall. The boy puts his palms on it, feels the coldness coming from it and knows it is cement. He bangs his hands on it anyway.

"Hey! Is anybody there?!"

He shouts, his voice high pitched and forced.

"This isn't funny!"

He bangs on the wall until his hands tire out. "Heyy!"

The boy then begins walking around the small room, crouching and feeling for any opening in every nook and cranny. He even resorted in jumping, hoping to find an air vent low enough to hang on. The darkness makes it difficult to balance himself and he falls on his back more times than he can count.

Eventually he returns to the same wall and begins shouting curses and banging at it again. After at least an eternity of this, the boy's voice begins to give and waver. He finally stops when his hands start aching and he suspects they will bruise.

He sits down, trying to rationalize with his inner self that it's probably just some prank. It's cold and late so his mother's probably worried about him. She's phone the school, they'll search for him.

He runs this through his head until fatigue finally hits him. The sleep that follows is a restless one.

 **Day Two**

The boy wakes and notices it's bright. He takes a look around, noticing the room he's in with greater detail. The light is bright and artificial, coming from a lamp above him. There is an air vent at one side of the wall, and a door stuck on the ceiling.

The door is stuck on the ceiling.

He makes a complete rotation and sees nothing but four blank walls surrounding him. He looks up at the ceiling again. Even he couldn't jump that high.

He tries to scream but it sounds hoarse. He realizes he's thirsty and hungry. He doesn't know how many hours have passed but it has probably been more than just a few hours.

The boy is ready to cry.

He swallows thickly and rubs his eyes, wishing for his mother, for his friends to come and pick him up. He looks down at his feet and notices the boxes again. They are closed, but not taped. He opens one.

Blankets and pillows in one box. He opens more.

Clothes his size.

An empty book and pencils.

At his fourth box tears begin streaming down his face. He doesn't know why but an overwhelming feeling of fear starts crawling in his chest. With shaking hands he unravels a cleaning supplies.

A bucket.

A toothbrush.

A Hairbrush.

His hands are now shaking so bad he can't keep hold of the items in front of him, so he pushes them aside and crawls to a corner. He doesn't understand what is happening, but he knows it won't end soon.

 **Day Three**

By now the boy is tired, his mouth is dry and his lips are cracked. He has never been this hungry in his life. The bucket provided is left to one side where he has pissed. He doesn't know what else to do.

He has huddled inside the blanket, alleviating some of the coldness but missing all the comfort that should come with it. It is around this time that the boy finally hears a sound coming from the ceiling.

It is the sound of footsteps.

On instinct he clutches the blankets tighter, views the ceiling from just above the corner of the sheets. He can feel himself shaking.

The trapdoor opens, revealing a man.

"Hello." The man smiles, his eyes showing delight. "I'm sorry I'm late but I needed to be very far from here for a while. The police can be quite troublesome you know."

The boy registers the words, his eyes widening. His breath hitches and he doesn't know what to say except,

"Please let me go." It comes out worse than he expects, barely audible and hoarse.

"Hmm?" The man replies, "I can't really hear you, Shouyou." At the mention of his name the boy flinches. "Hold up." The man disappears from his line of view for a while. The boy hears scraping noises and soon a rope ladder falls from the trap door. It hangs short. He sees the man climbing down with a plastic bag in his hand and jumping to the ground.

"Meant to leave this here, but I forgot." He pulls out two small bottles of water and a wrapped sandwich. The boy's eyes grow wide as he pushes the blanket aside. He looks longingly at the scant meal before him but dares not make the first move, opting rather to look at the man before him.

He was lanky and tall, his face thin and mean looking. He gave of a strange aura that makes the boy uncomfortable under his stare. The boy's heartbeat increases. He smiles at the boy, noting his hesitation.

"Come on, I don't bite. Here." He rolls the water to the boy. His reaction is almost immediate. As bottle rolls half way, the boy pushes himself forward, but not towards the bottle. He makes a slight turn to avoid the older man and grabs onto the rope ladder, jumping higher than he's ever jumped before. The man is taken by surprise, self-assured that only he could reach the ladder.

This takes place in mere moments before the man finally reacts.

"Oh no you don't," He says, grabbing one of the boy's legs. The boy lets out a scream of terror, his hands grappling to reach the exit but he feels too weak. His hands are clumsy and his head is light. With one tug from the man below, his hands slip and he tumbles directly into the man's chest.

He screams, "Letmegoletmegoletmego," trashes around before the man grabs a handful of his orange hair and pins him down.

"Shut up." The boy cringes and looks at the man above him. There is nothing but malice in his eyes. The boy freezes. He doesn't know, doesn't know, just wants it to stop, to let him go

"If you try that again, I will seriously hurt you," He scowls, "and we don't want that do we?" The boy shakes his head, his heart beat loud in his ears. "Good." The man lets him go. "Eat your food." The weight shifts, then disappears. The boy sits up, his hands still shaking from fright and adrenaline. He takes the small bottle and drinks from it, then unwraps the sandwich, all the while under the watchful eye of his captor.

"Why-" The boy ventures, "why did you do this to me?" The man smiles coldly, eyeing him from head to toe. This elites a shiver from the boy.

"You'll find out."

* * *

A/N: DUN DUN DUN shit finally hits the fan.

I can foresee very dark things coming.

You're thoughts?


	5. Chapter 4: WISHES

**Chapter 4: WISHES**

 **The Sun**

He woke up with a silent scream, his blanket twisted messily around his body like a makeshift cocoon. It took a few seconds to untangle the mess before he sat upright, holding his sweat covered forehead with both hands. The urge to vomit was strong but he managed to hold it in.

The recollections of the day comes rushing in. The feeling of being pinned down, the fear crawling in his mouth, Tsukishima finding out. He hugged himself and shivered despite sweating. He tucked his head in his arms, shut his eyes tight and started rocking himself gently back and forth.

 _You're fine, it never happened, it's fine, you're okay, this will pass_

He finally manages to breathe but he still feels disoriented. Like his skin was woven too tightly on him, and that his lungs were too big for his chest. He wished- He stopped for a moment, knowing it was futile to even think it. The what ifs... But if he could wish, he'd wish that time would rewind itself, and take him a week back, or even months back. How could things go so wrong, so fast.

A few days. That's all it took to unravel everything.

* * *

The day was starting out real good. Hinata was having one of those days where everything seemed to be going his way. His mom cooked his favorite food in the morning, he arrived to school on time, the test they had yesterday would be scored tomorrow. By noon, Hinata was practically skipping to the court.

"Someone had a good one,' Suga-senpai commented, smiling at their striker.

Hinata gave a huge thumbs up and grinned. The day _was_ amazing. Of course Hinata was a ball of sunshine on a regular day, but today just seemed extra special. He only had to ask Kageyama once (and it was only semi-begging) and Kageyama was already tossing high balls for him.

" _One_ more!" He said breathlessly, after countless tosses. Kageyama obliged instantly and he spiked it hard. Daichi clapped his hands and called them to practice their receives and wordlessly Kageyama paired with Hinata.

"Why are you in such a good mood anyway." Kageyama said after a flawless receive. The ball flew back to Hinata, where he caught it with less finesse. "You usually are but today you seem unnaturally happy."

"Mom made my favorite dish" Hinata said with a huff. Kageyama commented wistfully that Hinata's mom does make great food. "What does your mom usually cook for you?" Hinata asked.

"My mom's usually busy. We have a maid that does the cooking." Kageyama said nonchalantly, eyes trained on the ball.

"Like a personal chef? That sounds awesome!" Hinata imagined having someone serve him fillet mignon on a silver platter while he was soaking in a bubble bath. He shared this piece of brilliant idea with Kageyama.

"It's nothing like that," Kageyama said, giving Hinata a look that was clearly him guessing how many brain cells Hinata had. Hinata glared at him in return. Kageyama's eyes travelled back to the ball and he was quiet for a moment.

"She does know how to cook though, my mom I mean, not the maid." He said. "I miss it sometimes." At this Hinata feels a bit guilty. He doesn't remember exactly how many times, but it seemed like he's always bragging about his mom's cooking. Kageyama and Hinata weren't close before (understatement) but they really bonded through their love (or obsession) of volleyball, and is nearly inseparable after the Aoba Johsai match. So Hinata felt slightly peeved that this bit information slipped pass him.

"How about you come over to eat sometimes?" Hinata suggested, grinning. "Oh but maybe not anytime this week, my mom said she had someone special was coming over. Probably one of her lady friends from out of town. They usually come over to bunk so that they could experience the countryside."

With one final receive, Daichi-san called them for spiking practice and they both practically jumped to the court.

/Haikyuu/

The Moon

"What do you think about Hinata?" Yamaguchi has asked once during a typical receive practice.

"What's there to say. He's annoying and hyperactive. The worst combination." Tsukishima doesn't admit the rest. That he thinks Hinata is an overly optimistic idiot who never gives up and a typical Country Hill Billy without any sense of the real world. And Tsukishima doesn't like idiotic County Hill Billies with no sense of the real world.

"What about Kageyama?"

Tsukishima snorted.

/Haikyuu/

The Sun

When practice finally ended, Hinata, as usual, walks home with Kageyama. They trade random stories about the day, even discussing possible methods of convincing Yachi-san to help them with their finals. They both know they'll be fully concentrated on their match with Shiratorizawa.

"Sometimes I find myself dreaming about the upcoming match." Kageyama said, his eyes determined and a little manic. "We win most nights." Suddenly a thought struck Hinata and he burst out laughing.

"Aww, does that mean you dream about me Kageyama?" He giggled when Kageyama turns beet red.

"That's not what I meant! Everyone else was there too!" This makes Hinata do a double take. It's rare that he gets under Kageyama's skin. Usually, it's the other way around. He grins a Cheshire Smile and decides to push his luck.

"So you're saying, there are times when the others _aren't_ there?" He wiggles his eyebrows, has no idea what he's even trying to imply but then laughs at this own joke. "I'm just kid...ding" He stops walking when he notices Kageyama was frozen to one spot, unmoving and is instead blushing furiously, hand covering his mouth and looking away.

"What dumb thing-" was all he manage to mutter.

There was _something_ about today.

"Hey Kageyama-kun," Hinata ventures, realizing he's also blushing now. "Come by next week kay?" Kageyama nods jerkily and they continue their walk and Kageyama is the first to break the silence by clearing his throat and asking about what other food his mom usually cooks.

Hinata list out a very long list and the mention of dreams is soon forgotten.

When they reach their split-up junction, they wave each other off and shouted their goodbyes. Hinata catches himself humming and grins.

Really, there was something about today.

/Haikyuu/

"I'm home!" He shouts as he shuts the door. Their hallway was decked with photographs of Natsu and him, in various stages of childhood. He opens his shoes and puts them neatly on their shoe rack besides Natsu's Pink-capital-P shoes. He is a bit curious because this is usually when Natsu would be running towards him.

Then he noticed a pair of brown shoes. They looked like his dad's but he knows it isn't his. For starters his dad was on a business trip now, and won't be back for another 2 weeks. Secondly, they look pricier than all their shoes combined. (Minus his mother's one and only Dinner Heels)

They have a guest over. Hinata hums to himself and walks inside the kitchen to grab a drink. Whoever the guest was, he was probably in the living room with Natsu and his mom. So he made his way there.

"Hinata!" His mom gushed, "I didn't hear you come in." The guest was sitting with his back facing Hinata. For some reason, his outline made Hinata uneasy. "Your uncle finally has a week off from all his political business." She said excitedly. "So he decided to pay you guys a visit, get to know his nephew and niece."

The guest turns around,

And Hinata's world tilted.

"I don't think you've met, Hinata, this is your uncle Taki Morinaga." His mother sounded alien to his ears, sounded so far away.

"Hello, Shouyou." He smiled at Hinata.

Hinata dropped his drink with a crash. Afterwards he would recall his mother berating him, he would recall his 'uncle' telling her it was an accident.

He would remember shaking and feeling like the walls were closing in on him.

He would remember running up the stairs and shutting the door.

He would remember being on his knees and choking back sobs because nothing was alright.

His nightmare finally caught up.

 _His nightmare was in his home._

* * *

Author's Note:

For starters *gets on hands and knees* Gomenasaiiii. I was in the midst of a very difficult semester. Exams are _finally_ over, and I can focus on writing again. I know I promised before a chapter a week, but I'm making that same promise now but I'll stick to it. I have nothing else to do (besides part time work) anyway. So see you guys soon!


	6. Chapter 5: THE ART OF FEAR (part two)

Warning: Dark Themes ahoy

* * *

Chapter Five – The Art Of Fear (Part Two)

 **Day Four**

The boy doesn't know what time it is, or even what day. All he knows is that he has been sleeping again. Partly because he was bored, mainly because he was thirsty. And hungry. Sleeping made him forget the scratching in his throat, the rumbling in his stomach, if only for a while. He had paced the room once more after his 'captor' had left, speaking ominously about coming back soon, leaving him antsy and slightly manic. After an hour, exhaustion claimed him and he settled at his usual corner to panic inwardly.

 _This can't be happening._

The boy thinks for the hundredth time.

These kind of things happened in movies, or scary cities. Not in Miyagi. Not to boys like him. Boys who had never even set foot outside their town except for that one trip to the base of Mount Fuji when he and Natsu were nothing more than toddlers. He tried hard to come up with any reason why anyone would want to kidnap him. His parents weren't rich. His mother was a freelance designer who did more contracts with new neighbors than anything else, and his father was a simple office-worker, always huddled in a cubicle or otherwise sent to the main office in Tokyo to work every now and then.

Thinking made the boy feel worse sometimes, made the whole situation feel too real. He doesn't like to admit it but there are moments when he would be sitting, thinking about the possibilities of 'why' he was targeted, and the next he would suddenly be seized with blind panic, suddenly stand and start scrambling at the walls and reopening boxes as though he missed something. The boy usually snaps out of this cloud of panic as quickly as it comes.

Then the boy will return to the corner and stare holes at the trapdoor above him, wondering when it would finally open. Wondering if he's hoping it would stay shut forever.

* * *

"Wake up," A voice said. The boy flinches awake, eyes darting towards the man before him. His breath quickened, and he grasps his blanket tighter. This brings a smile to the man's face. "Easy." He said, as though the boy was a wild creature, and he was calming it down.

"M-My family," The boy stuttered, "We don't... we don't have money." His teeth was chattering.

The man simply smiled.

"I know."

The boy's breathing becomes heavier. He could feel the man's gaze on him, making his insides feel cold.

"Then why?" The boy says harshly. "I don't understand," His eyes prickled with confused tears. "I didn't do anything-"

"Shouyou." The man said, his voice ringing in the room, overriding the boy's panicked speech. "Shut up."

The boy opened his mouth, closed it, then opened it again.

"Why-"

 _SLAP!_

The boy is knocked to his side, completely caught off guard. His ears were ringing and his cheek feels warm. If the boy was being honest, he couldn't really feel the pain. His nerves were too shocked to feel anything else.

"When I tell you to shut up," The man said, his voice strangely calm and quiet, despite his fist shaking at his side. "You listen. Understood?" The boy nods, not daring to open his mouth, not daring to breath.

The man exhales, and his hands unclenched.

"Sorry about that," The man says, sounding sincere. The boy cannot compute how he could sound sincere. "Here, a little present so that you'll forgive me." His eyes bore into the boy and seemed happy when the boy averted his eyes after a few seconds to stare at the ground between them. He had a plastic bag in one hand, and a glass of milk in the other. He took out an identical sandwich from before and placed both of them in front of the shaking and frightened boy.

Then he simply watched while the boy hesitated, eyes darting from the man, to the meal, to the man again. When the internal war finally ended, the boy reached out and grabbed the milk first and started drinking, his Adam's apple bobbing as he did. The action cause the man's cock to stir.

The man laced his fingers in front of his face, hoping to hide the gleeful smile behind them. The boy seemed not to notice, seems intent on finishing every single drop. When he had, his hands grabbed the sandwich and he wolfed it down as quickly as he could.

"Satisfied?" The man asked. The boy stayed quiet, fearing it was a trick question. This makes the man bark out a laugh. "You're a smart boy aren't you?" He said, his eyes crinkling affectionately. His hands rested on the boy's lap, above the blanket, making him flinch. The man pretended not to notice, then proceeded to rub slow circles where the boy's thigh should be.

The boy pales and pushes the man's hand away but the man catches it.

"Now, now," The man said condescendingly, as though berating a small child. "just stay still." The boy tries to pull his hand away, his heartbeat quickening, and then- the world spun.

The boy groans, a wave of nausea suddenly hitting him.

"Ah, I guess it's finally kicking in." The man's voice sounded garbled, like a radio station without signal. The boy gave one last effort to pull his hand away before darkness consumed his vision.

* * *

The boy wakes groggily, his head feeling heavy, his arms in an awkward position over his head. He tried to tug at it but even that required too much effort. His limbs felt heavy, like his blood was replaced with lead, and everything felt sluggish. The room looked different –too dim, too big- even the walls were different. He was also on a rather large bed.

It took him to realize that he really _was_ in a different room. His mind told him to seize this opportunity, told him this might be his chance to run. He pulled against the ropes that was holding his hands in place, but it was secured tight.

Then the bed dipped.

"You're finally awake." The boy's heart jack rabbited as the man appeared before him. He tried to kick the man but his movements were slow. The man caught his leg with an amused laugh. "So you can still move, huh?" The man moved closer towards him until he was practically on top of the boy, his hand caressing the boy's hair.

The boy starts gasping in panic because his body wasn't listening to him. He tried rolling to his side but his back feels glued to the bed. The man loomed above him, his eyes clouded with lust. Every time the boy struggled, his whole body rubbed against the man. Something hot and slick -a tongue- touched the boy's neck, making him shut his eyes. He struggled again, and then his stomach rubbed against something hard. The man above him groaned and bit him. Large hands grabbed at the boy's uniform and started unbuttoning them.

"S-stop! Please!" The boy keened. His whole body was slicked with sweat but his insides felt cold. The man above him moved downwards-

 _The boy was beautiful; his fiery hair was soft to touch, every inch of his skin was like undiscovered tapestry, he made the cutest faces with the right touches. When the uniform was finally peeled away, his pale skin stretched for miles; milky and soft._

 _He was responsive as well, peppered kisses making him groan and arch languidly. When the man's hand finally landed on his crotch area, the boy hissed, started tugging at the ropes again. He looked ravishing. His breath coming in gasps, his cheeks burning bright red, his eyes shut tight as though peeking was a sin._

 _What man could resist?_

 _He suckled on the boy's perk nipples, liking how this small action made the boy shudder, made him trash his head to the side and bit his lip. He must be in ecstasy. The man wanted more. The man wanted everything._

 _When his hands dipped into the boy's pants, gripping at the limp member, terrified eyes finally flew opened._

" _N-No!" He pulled himself up as the man held his legs open. To the man, he might as well be grinding onto him. "S-stop uhh, ughh..." The boy struggled some more, gritted his teeth. He had a stubborn streak which made the man hazy with lust. And then- "Mmnnh" The boy had his teeth clenched , eyes shut once more. The man rubbed slowly, bidding his time, wanting the boy to enjoy this. The man's efforts paid off when the boy's breathing started coming in shallow gasps and he held a leaky cock in his hands._

" _Feels good doesn't it?" the man whispered, sticking a tongue in the boy's ear. The boy shuddered against him, his cock twitching in the man's hand. He shook his head, burying it into the pillow behind him._

 _The man rubbed his hand on the boy's chest, teasing the perky nipples while making slow strokes with the other. The boy was trembling. His arms shook with small tremors from above him. His legs clamped tightly on both sides of the man, tears of pleasure streaming down his cheeks. After a moment, the boy's hips started buckling, moving on its own. His mouth opened in a small 'o', his eyebrows scrunched while sweat beaded down his face, mixing with the tears._

" _Ughh... uhh... a-ah!..." The boy moaned. He was perfection. He was also close to the edge._

 _The man rubbed the underside of the boy's shaft once, twice, and then let go. The boy beneath him nearly sobbed. He opened his tear-ridden eyes confusingly at the man above him. The man smiled and gripped the boy's shoulder, turned him around and pulled his pants all the way down._

 _The boy let out a sound of protest, but the man quickly brought him to his knees so he was on all fours before his hands found the bedpost and used it to keep balance. The man pried the boy's legs apart with his knees, finding it moist with sweat. His hands found the small member again and started gathering the pre-cum, sliding his finger into the small hole with it._

 _The boy tries to lean away. The man whispers in his ear._

" _You'll like it, Shouyou," He breathed, "you'll learn to beg for it." He starts pushing his finger in, knowing it was already loose and cleaned. He had already prepared the boy when he was asleep. He added another, and then hooked his fingers._

 _The boy arched._

" _There," The man sounded pleased, even to his own ears. He never expected the boy to be quite so... lewd. "You're a natural." He grabbed his throbbing cock and rubbed the head on the boy's entrance. The boy gasped, either from shock or pleasure, the man could not be certain. He pushes himself slowly._

 _And groans._

 _Gods, god..._

 _He gathered the boy's soft hair and pulled his head gently back, exposing the boy's pale neck. The boy was moaning, trembling. The man pushed himself further._

" _S-stop, stop stopstop uhh ahh a-ahh.." The man nibbles on his neck, tells him it's alright._

" _God, you're so tight." He starts thrusting slowly, feeling every inch on himself going in and sliding back out. "Keep at it." He says breathily. "Keep at it." The boy's arms fail him, his whole body bends forward. His forehead touches the bed. "Y-Yeah, put your ass up, ugh," The man groans. He reaches for the boy's leaking cock, and starts stroking it in time with his thrusts. The boy's face is slick with sweat and tears, this last act pushing him over the edge. He comes with a shudder, while the man keeps pounding into him, feeling the boy tightening around him. "Gods-" The man says before coming himself._

 _The boy falls limp._

* * *

 _ **"You can't brush me off again, Hinata. This isn't 'nothing'. This isn't something you should even face alone-" He pauses for a while, hesitates because he doesn't want to assume. "Just tell me what that was, Hinata. What the hell was that guy doing to you?"**_

 _ **A painful expression crosses Hinata's face as he remembers what happened just a few minutes ago. He clenches his small fists, his eyes tearing at the sides.**_

 _ **"I can't!" He whines, "If I say something-" If I say something I might not be able to pretend anymore, I'm scared, afraid, I don't want to spell it out, I don't want to say it because if I do**_

 _ **"I can't-" Hinata whispers, almost inaudible, he covers his face with his right arm, his left hand still clutching his chest.**_

 _ **"**_ _I can't."_

* * *

Author's Note: Well.. I feel awful.


	7. Chapter 6: A PLEA FOR NORMALCY

Slight Recap because I realize how confusing this timeline is,

Hinata had been raped before going to Karasuno High. This takes place after the showdown with Kageyama in Junior High. The Present takes place after the Aoba Johsai match, which they lost, and they are training for their next match following cannon. The story snippets with DAY ONE, DAY TWO ect reflects when Hinata was in captivity. I'll start marking their current situation with the title Present. And it goes without saying

The Sun- Hinata

The Moon- Tsukishima

Current chapter takes place after Hinata finds out that his captor is staying with them at his home.

* * *

Chapter 6 - A Plea For Normalcy

 _Present_

 **The Moon**

The day began as it usually did. Bespectacled and still half asleep, Tsukishima have developed a slight ritual to his mornings so as to avoid clashing with the other residents of the household -for bathroom use, hallway crossings and the like- Efficiency, something he sought constantly and wished that the entire world did the same. His mother called at precisely 7.15 for them to come down. Tsukishima inspected himself once more on a single standing mirror, picked up his bag from his desk and headed downstairs. Another day.

Hinata was certainly less chipper than he was the day before. In fact he seemed absolutely fitful. Glancing for the corner of his eyes, Tsukishima could see that Hinata's eyes were bloodshot and his face was pale. Tsukishima hummed to himself. He's been paying a lot of attention to the fiery-haired boy the past few weeks (though he would never admit that out loud), but this probably warranted actual concern.

Classmates gave him second glances and some even stopped Hinata to ask if he was feeling alright. It was a testament to Hinata's usual demeanor that even the likes of Himawari, who was socially inept most of the time, could notice this shift in attitude. This worry, Tsukishima noticed, was easily remedied though, with a simple,

"I'm fine, really." Alongside a pathetic excuse for a smile from the short boy.

"You okay, Tsukki?" Yamaguchi said, bringing Tsukishima out of his reverie. He nods, a bit annoyed at himself for getting distracted so easily.

"The little midget, he's less annoying than usual." Tsukishima comments.

"Yeah," Yamaguchi replies, his eyebrows furrowed. "I asked what was wrong this morning, but he said he was fine. I hope he is."

Tsukishima shrugs like he couldn't care either way.

During practice, Tsukishima finds himself a few steps away from Kageyama and Hinata. On a usual day, their banter could drive Tsukishima up a wall. He had once had the misfortune of overhearing them discuss the merits of rice balls -which went on for 20 minutes straight.

This time however, Hinata, the usual conversation starter- was quiet. Given his mood the entire day, Tsukishima is not surprised. Neither, Tsukishima assumes, should the King be. From the corner of Tsukishima's eyes, he could see how Kageyama kept flitting worried looks when he thought Hinata wasn't looking. Hinata looked tired even before training began, which Tsukishima thought impossible for someone who almost never ran out of energy, _especially_ towards anything volleyball-related. Kageyama seemed to have picked up on this because he was not assaulting Hinata for his poor performance as he normally would. Hinata's form was all over the place. He kept receiving Kageyama's passes awkwardly, and thus the ball kept flying everywhere except towards Kageyama.

He mumbled more 'Sorry's and "I'll get that," than he had on the first day of practice, when the first years were still fighting on different sides of the net.

"Hinata, I think we should stop." Kageyama said as Hinata went jogging after another wayward ball. This had an almost a freezing effect on everyone on the court. Everyone turned to stare at the golden-duo. Hinata, above all else, was gripping the ball tightly, his eyes downcast.

"I'm fine." The shorter boy forced out.

"You're not." Kageyama retorts. "If-" He catches himself, seeming to realize he had an audience, and cleared his throat before continuing. "If you need to take a break, I could wait."

On any other day, everyone probably would've lined up to tease Kageyama, call him names his own mother would be embarrassed to hear. Hinata would probably be first in line. Today however, Hinata, and everyone else, remained silent. Tsukishima wonders if anyone else could see the slight tremors on Hinata's shoulder, showing just how hard he was gripping the volleyball. As if it was a life line.

"I'm _fine_." Hinata says again, with more force this time.

"You're not. Anyone in this court can see that." Kageyama says, slowly approaching Hinata. "Just, what's wrong?"

Tsukishima mentally face palmed himself. Hinata had been dodging that question the entire morning, this probably warranted more privacy than the entire Karasuno Male's Volleyball team. Kageyama doesn't seem to care and just brazenly continues his line of questioning.

"Is it something to do with school? Is someone bullying you or something? Or maybe problems at home?" Hinata pales instantly at his, turns to look at Kageyama violently.

"I said I'm fine, Bakageyama!" He pushes the volleyball into Kageyama's hands. "I'm just- off my game for a bit." He said, head bowed and looking straight at the floor. Kageyama opens his mouth to say something, rethinks it and whispers.

"Then what am I supposed to do?"

Hinata doesn't reply. It was also obvious that the seniors weren't paying attention to their own practice, each of them waiting for someone to go up to Hinata to give council or something similar. After an intense moment of silence, Daichi-senpai thankfully intervened.

He goes up to Hinata, puts his hands on his left shoulder. "Why don't you take a break for today Hinata." He gave Hinata a reassuring squeeze. "We'll be right here whenever you're ready."

Hinata nods jerkily and runs out the door.

The day continues with each of the members trying to get into the thick of their practice, but finding Hinata's absence more noticeable with each passing minute. Tsukishima half expected the king to be sulking but he just seemed confused and slightly at a loss for words. Sugawara tells him not to worry about it so much.

Maybe Hinata was just going through something.

Kageyama nods and continues training, but his eyes are a bit unfocused.

* * *

 **Day Five**

The days mean nothing to the boy. He realizes that the food the man provides for him must be laced with something, given the fact that he feels either numb, disoriented or at one point, crazed under a haze of lust. He experiences pain he never knew existed, and pleasure that leaves him feeling cold and dirty afterwards. Sometimes the older man would shush him, his finger on his lips, and either Hinata stopped screaming or would find a rag thrust unforgivingly into his mouth.

Sometimes he wanted the boy to scream.

The artificial light overhead continues to shine, blurring the concept of time altogether. Hours pass by without him noticing. At some point he was dragged upstairs, fully conscious to be cleaned and was given permission to use the toilet, which was nice.

 _The boy was complacent most of the time, though this could be attributed to the drugs. The man wasn't precisely sure of the dosage, but the result was satisfactory. He was humming to himself, absolutely thrilled with his recent purchase. Of course it had to be under an alias, but it was worth it._

 _He adjusted the lens, and called the boy._

" _Give me a smile, Shoyo."_

 _He received a distant stare from the corner of the basement. The man smiled._

* * *

 _Present_

 **The Sun**

He remembers walking aimlessly. Unwilling to go home until it is late enough that he thinks everyone is asleep. He texted his mother saying training ran a bit late, and he was jogging home. His mother replied to him to stay safe. He flipped his phone shut and continued pacing.

Memories of the night before flits through his mind. Standing across the man who he had made himself believe was nothing more than a bogeyman from his deepest nightmares. Never in his wildest imagination did he ever expect to encounter him again.

It made his stomach sick to remember his mother's smiling face as she introduced her adopted brother. She sounded proud. The man smiled at her and at him, and Hinata felt frozen in space. Then he ran out the door. He knew his mother shouted after him. Maybe she apologized afterwards for her son's behavior. Maybe she would make Hinata apologize to his uncle too.

He feels like throwing up again, but contained it.

 _It never happened to you. It happened to_ _ **Him**_ _. And_ _ **He's**_ _gone._ _ **He**_ _doesn't exist anymore._

Hinata tried breathing normally but it was hard.

When he arrived home it must've been late because the lights were out.

When he entered his home, it felt different, alien to him. Almost like he was intruding at another person's home. Which felt ridiculous because the décor was still the same; the painted walls and the squeaky floorboards. He walked silently past the living room. Then he feels the hairs on his neck rise as a voice spoke.

"It's been awhile hasn't it." He opened his mouth to scream, but not a sound came. The man stood and walked towards him, a towering figure made of countless nights of nightmares, of sweat drenched dreams and silent screams. The boy jerks back before running to his room, his breathing hard, his legs leaving heavy thuds across the floor. He slammed the door closed and shivered behind the door.

 _Stop_

 _Make it Stop_

He could hear himself breathing harshly, drowning out everything around him. He was going to faint- Then he heard something from across the hall. A door swung open and

"Sho-chan?" Blearily, his little sister spoke to the night. "Uncle?"

An invisible force tugged at Hinata, his hands finding the doorknob and pulling the door open while he was still on his knees.

Illuminated by the light from downstairs, Hinata saw the two figures, so mismatched in their height and in everything else. Hinata couldn't breathe.

The man turned towards him, lifted his hand and placed his finger on his lips. Hinata froze. He recognize that. He did it every time before he-

"Let me in Hinata. Or I'll put your sister to bed."

Recognizing the threat as it was, Hinata shivered and did as he was told. If he were to recall the next morning, he'd say he didn't move, not really. It was like watching his hands push himself up to stand, watching himself tuck Natsu to bed, watching himself being led back to his room. The man radiated a sort of heat that made Hinata's stomach turn as he was nearly shoved into the room.

The door shut with a click.

* * *

 **A/N** : Again, I'm so sorry for not updating for almost an entire year. I recently moved (if anyone cares to know) and packing and unpacking takes a lot of physical and mental energy. I completely forgot about this until one morning when I was going through my laptop and found this Haikyuu folder. Suffice to say I cursed like a sailor.

I've plotted the story so far and I hope to complete the story before the end of this year (if that is even possible) because I start uni next year. So far I've plotted 25 chapters with an epilogue, so if you guys would stick around with this poor excuse of a fanfic writer, I'll try to make it worth your while.

XOXO

 **Replying to Comments** :

Silveristhelight: Yes there would be more chapters

Kohaku: I'm super sorry for the delay!

Mona133: Because I like angst-y plot despite being an easy crier with puffiness syndrome in the aftermath


	8. Chapter 7: HEAT

Chapter 7: HEAT

 **The Moon**

It is a rare occurrence indeed for Kageyama to voluntarily appear in front of Tsukishima outside of the Volleyball Club. Save for unpleasant instances where they would share gym classes or cross paths in the hallway, the two have mutually agreed that when it came to facing each other, less is more. So it comes as a surprise when Tsukishima finds himself being called by the aforementioned setter from his classroom to discuss a certain fiery-haired classmate.

"I know this is sudden," Kageyama started, his eyes darting from Tsukishima's face, to the ceiling, to his face once again. "I asked the others before you" he justifies "about- Hinata." Tsukishima glanced at the hallway coolly, seeing Hinata nowhere nearby before looking at Kageyama again. He crossed his arms.

"And what exactly do you expect me to know that the others don't? It's not as though Hinata and I are particularly close, rather I'd think that position would go to you." He thought for a moment. "Or anyone else in the school for that matter."

Kageyama seemed a bit cross eyed with this response, but he forced himself to try again.

"What I mean is, you're- observant." He clipped out. "I've seen how you move in the court. You notice things."

"I notice things."

Kageyama nodded. Well.

"While I appreciate the notion of you realizing and commending my observation skills, I have not however, invested my free time into monitoring your partner in crime." The words was said easily enough but as Tsukishima turned around and was about to head back to his desk, an image of the smaller boy popped into his head, bloodshot eyes and all. "But I will say that whatever it is that is bothering the shrimp, I'd say it's probably something outside of school."

Kageyama didn't say anything else as he made his leave.

Practice was held as usual. Though in this case, it felt very unusual, as the outbursts of a particular fiery-headed boy was missing the entire time.

The captain suggested calling his home to ask if he was okay, if only to ease their growing apprehension and worry.

Tsukishima would admit that at this point, he was probably worried as well.

Present

 **The Sun**

The crickets were finally out, making a cacophony of sound that substituted for background noise instead of busy traffic for once. Hinata walked until he reached a fairly abandoned park. He sat on a shabby looking swing set, making himself comfortable -or as comfortable as one could be outdoors in the blistering heat. He skipped practice. Kageyama was going to kill him. But he couldn't go to training, not today. If he did, they could see it in his limp and know what he did last night.

Last night. His cheeks burned with shame.

 _You're tight again._

He shut his ears with his hands.

 _Go ahead, come._

Everything felt like too much. Like his skin was woven too tight and his stomach was churning.

He felt like he couldn't breathe.

 **Day Six**

The boy was led upstairs to take a hot shower. The layout of the place was simplistic enough, similar grey wallpaper that line the hallways and rooms. It was however, extremely spacious, so spacious in fact, that the one time the boy had tried to make a run for it, he was met with so many twists and turns that he ended up at a dead end and was punished severely. His back still tingled every time they rub against his t-shirt.

" _In you go." The man said, pushing the boy into the bathroom. He then continued to undress the boy, taking great measure to appreciate the redness that spreads not only on the boy's face and ears but also on his upper chest. The man wonders how long the boy will remain shy with his exposed body before he gets used to it._

" _Beautiful." He sighs, stroking the exposed flesh before him, reveling in the the smoothness of it before the boy's skin prickled with goose bumps. "Cold isn't it?" Before, he would simply use the showerhead to spray the boy, lather him with soap and be done with it; unwilling to wait a second longer before he could devour the boy. But today, he wanted to bid his time. The bathtub, it seems, will be put to good use._

 _He turns the faucet, filling the intimate space with the sound of rushing water and steam. The boy looks at him with confused ridden eyes but the man merely motions for him to get in the tub. And so he does, wincing slightly at the sudden heat._

" _Feel better?" The man asks, turning his back on the boy for a second to retrieve a bottle of soap, only to find it missing. That's right, he had brought it to the other bathroom the previous night. With an annoyed sigh, he makes his leave to retrieve the bottle of soap, but not before giving the boy a stern warning to remain in the tub._

 _The journey wasn't far, just a few paces to the left. It was so close, he could still hear the water rushing._

 _And the sound of the boy splashing out._

 _As quickly as he had gone, the man returned, ready to discipline the insolent brat-_

" _I- It's was too hot!"_

 _He stopped at the sight displayed before him. Dripping wet, the boy's pale face was completely flushed, coupled with a slightly frightened, deer in headlights look, and his breathing uneven. The man's eyes trailed after a wayward droplet that skidded from the boy's face, down his throat and to his chest. The boy then averted his eyes, but when the man said nothing, he peeked up through thick lashes and soft red hair that was just slightly out of his eyes._

 _The man nearly shuddered with lust._

 _Doing it in the bathtub was certainly an appealing idea, but he had already prepared for his previous idea. With a frustrated sigh, the man walked towards the faucet, (the boy nearly falling as he skidded to the side to let the man through) and turned it to cold. He tested the water and when he found it satisfactory, closed the faucet and motioned once again for the boy to get in._

 _This time, he retrieved the soap without any more mishaps._

The boy had felt languid and numb since the man had given him some sort of concoction to drink earlier on, which he was forced to ingest. The hot bath had returned some feeling into his fingers and toes, and while his insides still felt cold with ragged worry and dread, the bath felt soothing. More than he'd like to admit.

When the man returned with a bottle of soap that smelled like sandalwood, he lathered a generous amount on the boy's head, massaging deep into his scalp. The boy kept his back so frigid and straight that he nearly jumped when he heard the man chuckle.

"Relax Shoyo," Despite the order, the boy didn't relax until at least 10 minutes into the lengthy bath. The smell wafted in the air, coupled with the warmth, the boy finds himself slightly sleepy. He hadn't had much of a chance to get any form of proper rest since this nightmare began. Maybe he was dreaming right now, of light touches and warm baths. Maybe if he woke up, he'd find himself at home.

 _The boy had finally started relaxing his entire body, his eyes half lidded. The man casually massaged the boy, beginning from his scalp and moving downwards, encompassing the area behind the boy's ears, gently stroking the neck. The boy stiffened for half a second, but then relaxed once more when the man continued the docile stroking. Almost innocent in his ministrations. The boy peeked at the man, unsure what he was supposed to be doing._

 _How cute._

" _Sit on the edge for a moment." He ordered, but watching his tone. The water sloshed around for a bit, then the boy was sitting on the edge, most of his legs still dunked into the tub. The man lathered his hands and started earnestly cleaning the boy, rubbing on his petite chest, the small of his back. The boy gritted his teeth, the redness in his face returning with a vengeance. The man purposely slid his hands close but not quite touching his sensitive regions. Suds began collecting and sliding off of the boy._

 _A hand reached between the boy's leg, touching the pelvis, the inside of his thigh, stroking almost languidly, clinically. The boy's shoulder shook with small tremors, his eyes staring directly at the hand touching him. The man made a show of trailing his fingers on the boy's inner thigh, liking how the boy tried to close his legs before the man pried them open once more._

" _I'll clean you now," The man whispered into the boy's ear, making him tremble before the hand grabbed the boy's half hard member and began stroking it slowly. The suds easily lubricated the twitching member, and soon the warmth, slow pace and easy friction had the boy panting._

" _Guh..." The boy had his eyes shut tight, his head tilted back. He was biting his lips, keeping his moans in._

 _Once, twice..._

 _He felt pre cum slither down the side of the boy's cock-_

" _Alright." The man said, letting go of the small member. The boy fluttered his eyes open, looking at the man with an equal parts lustful and confused look. The man smiled down at him. "Get back in the tub so I can rinse you."_

 _The boy blushed harder, slid back into the tub and clamped his knees together. The man hummed as he rinsed the boy with warm water, his own member straining against his pants._

* * *

It felt uncomfortable. The boy was given a very large sweater to wear, and nothing else. Granted, the fabric was thin enough, and it covered his thighs, but the boy still felt awkward wearing it. It didn't help that he felt an unpleasant stickiness between his thighs every time he moved. He didn't want to think about what happened in the bathtub, about how he wanted the man to continue –just a little bit.

"Shoyo?" The boy jumped, surprised out of his stupor but the man merely chuckled. He gestured towards a long table where a dinner set was laid out. It looked elaborate, and the food prepared was different from what the boy was usually given; sandwiches and onigiri. The boy looked at the man, hesitant to walk towards the outlandish feast before him.

"Well, sit down with me." The man walked easily to the table, dragged the chair and motioned for the boy to sit in front of the meal. The boy followed with much apprehension. He winced slightly when he sat, his thighs rubbing uncomfortably together. But then the man lifted the lid, the smell wafted through the air, making the boy's mouth water. It was roasted chicken, or duck- the boy wasn't sure. The man grabbed a chair nearby and sat close to the boy.

"Well, go ahead. Don't mind me." The man said, his eyes boring into the boy. Feeling self-conscious but very much hungry, the boy picked up a fork and stabbed at the meat. It came apart easily, and with one taste, the boy started eating earnestly. It wasn't a huge portion, but the meal was satisfying. The boy glanced at his captor more than once throughout the entire meal but the man simply watched as the boy chewed and swallowed his meal. When the boy was nearly through, the man placed his hand on the boy's thigh, making the boy jump slightly.

"It's alright. The food was good wasn't it?" The boy nodded, his eyes trained on the man's hand. The man grabbed his leg, fingers ghosting over his inner thigh. "Finish your food, Shoyo, you wouldn't want to waste it." The boy swallowed thickly and scooped another mouthful, all too aware of the blood ringing in his ears. He could feel his earlier erection standing at attention, shame and mortification mixing into one. And then-

"Ah..!" His fork clattered on the plate when a hand gripped his member. Whatever the material of the sweater, it felt sinful against his burning skin. The man eyes the boy, his throat fascinating the man. The boy's Adam's apple have yet fully formed, but watching him swallow his meal was still oddly satisfying.

"What's wrong Shoyo? Aren't you going to finish your meal?" The man asked, failing to keep the smile of his face. The fabric bunched in his hand started to feel sticky and warm, he thumbed the boy's leaking head.

"Ah.. A- ahh!"

"Honestly, Shoyo, must I show you how to eat as well?" The man tsked, though the glee in his eyes was barely concealed. The boy shook, tears started forming in his eyes as he made a feeble attempt to pick up the fork he had dropped and to resume eating. Another tight squeeze from the man and the boy jerked forward, his hands gripping the table.

"N-no- Uhhn!" The man smiled lecherously. Honestly, keeping his hands off the boy was simply impossible. Not when he was so easily riled, so quick to transform into this shuddering, lustful creature.

* * *

 _The meal was abandoned. The man had picked up the boy, who, hazed under a blanket of lust as he was, did very little to object to this. Bringing him to the master bedroom he had prepared beforehand, the man noticed how the boy kept trying to hide his erection, pulling the sweater downwards and clamping his thighs together. He wordlessly kept his eyes shut, face burning red, but the unmistakable sound of panting could be heard by the both of them._

 _The man deposited the boy onto the large bed in a seated position, his legs dangling on the side of it. He opened his eyes to watch the man insert a disk of some sort into a VCR player connected to a rather large screen._

" _I assume you'd be bored by now, so I prepared a little movie for us to enjoy." The silhouette of the man became more prominent when the screen flared to life._

" _ **Ahh... ah! There, right- ughh!" A slender young man was bent forwards, the camera capturing the view from above. His ebony dark hair swayed, his sculpted shoulders jumped with each thrust. A slap echoed through the room.**_

 _The boy blushed furiously, his back rigid as the man lifted him up, sat down and placed the boy between his legs. He could feel something poking his backside which made him shudder. The man's hands slithered past the boy's side, lifting the cloth to display the boy's erect, leaking member._

 _The boy looked down with mortification, well aware of the hands ghosting on his stomach, to his chest. The fabric stretched and rubbed against his sensitive nipples, both from his aroused state and the warm bath he had had. But it wasn't just that. His body jumped at the slightest touch, his heartbeat was pounding in his ears and he felt faintly lightheaded._

 _What was happening to him?_

 _Then the man slid his hand to stroke the boy's back, going lower and lower, caressing the sensitive region where his lower back and rear end met. It sent a bolt up the boy's spine, and a keening voice escaped from him. He quickly grabbed his mouth. His mortification was swiftly forgotten though when he felt a sticky substance trailing down his lower back and the man circled his entrance with lubricated fingers. The boy tried to flail away but the man held him firmly with one arm._

" _No need to fret, just relax yourself." The man whispered, his breath hot beside the boy's face. The man entered a finger in, prodding slowly and gently, before adding another._

 _ **The younger man was grabbed by the arm and turned around, gasping in surprise. From that position, the camera focused on his body, a nipple piercing on the left that moved with each thrust, stomach glistening under the bright light from pre cum, and a leaking cock that quivered in want of release.**_

" _..Ah.!" The boy jerked, his eyes widening with surprise when the man probed something inside him. He turned around, looking at the man in desperation when he kept his ministrations concentrated in that one spot. "S-Stop! No, don't- A- ah..!" He barely felt a third finger sliding in._

 _Stars were swimming in front of the boy. He was on edge, too aroused and nothing made sense. He- He wanted to come._

 _And then the fingers were removed, leaving him stretched and empty- before a leaking cock rubbed at the space._

" _No-" His breath hitched,_

 _ **The young man started begging**_

" _ **F-fuck, fuck" He gave a shuddering moan, "Lemme come, Ah..! dammit!" He was pounded into harder.**_

 _And then the man thrust all at once, to the hilt, and the boy opened his mouth, his hands gripping the sleeve of the man tightly._

" _...!" The boy's legs twitched, something unraveling within him-_

" _Eyes up front," The man whispered, his voice breathy, "this is my favorite part."_

 _ **The camera man shifted, taking a view of the young man's face. He looked ready to come, eyebrows scrunched in concentration, his mouth panting relentlessly. When he opened his eyes, they looked hazed and unfocused, as though he couldn't quite see beyond the rippling pleasure coursing through him.**_

" _That's how you look, Shoyo," the man lifted the boy slightly, sliding out, before thrusting back in, pushing the boy into his cock. The boy moaned hysterically._

" _Ahh-! A- Ah..! Ah!" The man bit him harshly on the shoulder, using one hand to pinch the boy's nipple. The world tilted, the ceiling rose, the boy couldn't breathe-_

" _Come." And the boy did, eyes wide, his mouth open soundlessly, his body littered with spasms, tears of pleasure falling down the side of his face. He had never felt this- this pleasure so intense it burned._

 _He felt the man came seconds after him, still pumping in and out, but by then the boy had already fainted._

* * *

Whel.

This one sorta wrote on its own.

More angsty feels on the next one, hopefully less porn-oriented. *giggles*


	9. Chapter 8: OF ROMANCE

**Chapter 8: OF ROMANCE**

 **The Sun**

Hinata took the bus to school the next day, feeling drained. Gazing out the window, he let his mind dawdle away-

" _Don't struggle against them so much," The man whispered as he tugged at the shackles-_

Hinata doubled over, his face flushed. Pulling the sleeve of the jacket he wore tighter, he clenched his teeth. He hoped no one would get close enough to notice the red lines marking both his wrists.

He adjusted his timing going into class to match the teacher's, if only to avoid the unnecessary contact with the rest of his classmates. He could see some of them giving him glances throughout the class, some ridden with worry, some just plain curious. He wonders if anyone else notices the shadows under his eyes, given the lack of sleep he's had the past few nights. Hinata hid his face in the folds of his arms, forcing himself not to think about it.

Classes went by quickly enough, and soon lunch time was upon them. Hinata made a dash for the exit, hoping to escape any unwanted questioning but was stopped at the door.

"Shoyo, wait a second!" His classmate, Reo-kun grabbed him by the arm. "You don't look well, are you okay?"

 _Donttouchme_

Hinata motioned his hands in disregard.

"No, no, I'm quite alright. Just feeling a bit sick that's all. I might need to go to the nurse's office and get some medicine or something. Or maybe just a lot of rest." He babbled, his eyes looked at the classroom, not quite seeing their faces.

 _Theyknow_

Hinata's insides clenched and twisted.

Reo-kun dropped his hands and Hinata shoved them into his sweater pocket. Hinata forced a smile on his face. If he had been focusing on his classmates' faces, he might've noticed the worried look they gave him.

"Oh... okay. Um, get well soon."

He nodded, rushing out.

 **Kageyama**

Kageyama wouldn't have admitted it, but the reason he had been squatting beside Karasuno's gate in the early morning was because of a certain fiery-haired boy. Alas, his plans were foiled when the teacher-in-charge started his duties early, and told Kageyama to stop loitering around. The raven haired boy proceeded to loom outside class 1-1, before his class rep ushered him to enter class before their teacher showed up.

With a scowl, Kageyama stared holes into their classroom's clock, willing time to move faster.

When the lunch chime finally resounded throughout the school, he nearly kicked his chair backwards as he rushed out the door, heading straight for Hinata's classroom.

"Oh... okay. Um, get well soon." Kageyama heard a male voice said, before he saw a flurry of movement, and the fiery-headed boy dashed outside, bumping directly into him.

"Hinata!" Kageyama shouted, mostly from the shock of the impact. Hinata fell backwards but before he reached the ground Kageyama grabbed his arms and pulled him forward, steadying him. Hinata pulled his arms back violently, as though he had been burned.

"Hey Kageyama, d-didn't see you there!" The smile he gave Kageyama looked out of place with his shaken form. It looked forced, giving Kageyama a curious feeling in his chest.

"Hinata-"

"I know we usually have lunch, but I think I have to skip this one. I think I might've caught a bug or something, so I might rest up in the infirmary! I know you want to chew me out for not coming to practice yesterday, but it can't be helped, what's that saying about idiots and colds! Guess that makes me-"

"Hinata!"

"Anyway, I've got to go, next time kay?" He turned around to leave, but Kageyama grabbed his arm again.

"What's wrong?! Something's bothering you isn't it, just tell me-" Hinata wriggled out of his grasp, followed by a shaky laugh.

"Honestly Kageyama, I'm alright. Just a little cold. Take a chill pill." His face was downcast, and for some reason he was gripping his wrist tightly. "I'm alright." He said again, as though saying it out loud would clear whatever doubt Kageyama had towards him. He left the raven haired boy standing in the hallway, his hands fisted at his side.

Youth, as they say, is made of moments; of the embarrassing or horrifying variety. Most would attest though, that of all the flavors of youth, moments of confusion always seem to be predominant. Kageyama prided himself to be an exception to this, knowing right of the bat his passions, and having no qualms with devoting his entire being (or life) into volleyball, confident with his ability to reach greater heights. Well, omitting that particular length of time he had spent agonizing over his failure as a setter anyway. Going to Karasuno had strengthen his resolve, had made his goal in volleyball much clearer, more within his grasp. Outside of volleyball, he has never had much reason to fret. Outside of volleyball, not much mattered.

So it comes as an unexpected surprise when he finds himself constantly puzzling over a certain spiker (missing from practice once again) not because they couldn't practice their new and improved quick, but because this was out of character for the shorter boy. And he's worried there might be something wrong.

"Kageyama, look out!" He hears before a volleyball hits him squarely on the side of his head. Tanaka comes over to him, his face the picture of worry.

"Are you alright?! I'm sorry, I didn't see you standing there!" And indeed he hadn't, for Kageyama had wandered into his line of attack, volleyball between his hands and mind elsewhere.

"I'm alright." He said, absolutely furious at himself for being so out of focus. The Spring High tournament is closing in on them, and he needs to put all of his energy into honing his skills.

" _I'm alright."_

Kageyama tries to dispel the memory from his mind, pushing his way through practice.

Night time comes in a rush and a certain raven haired boy could be found sequestered in his room, chronically telling himself not to think about what had been hounding his mind the entire day, namely, Hinata Shoyo.

He doesn't understand, can't even begin to fathom what could possible shake Hinata so badly he's not only willing to sacrifice his time for volleyball, but also to distance himself from all of his friends. If only the shorter boy could just tell Kageyama what was bothering him.

A memory surfaces, of when they had lost to Aoba Johsai, and Hinata and him had hit a dry spell with their quick. He remembers the fight he had with Hinata, how he doubted not only his spiker's ability but his own as well. And yet Hinata had managed to push his way through, barreling past Kageyama and his turbulent emotions like it was nothing.

Hinata Shoyo, ever a force to be reckoned with. What could possibly distress him so much to the point of stopping him dead on his tracks.

The raven haired boy stood upright and started messing his hair in frustration.

A knock came from the door.

"Tobio-chan, dinner's ready!" His maid called. Kageyama sighed.

Dinner was peaceful, as it usually is. Kageyama dined with the maid as she made small talk about the happenings of her favorite drama, and the state of their old washing machine (it needed an upgrade).

"Tobio-chan?" Kageyama blinked out of his thoughts.

"Sorry, Nana-san. I- my mind was somewhere else."

The maid hummed, giving a curious look over at Kageyama. She had known him since he was an elementary school student. The last time he had been so disheartened was after he had lost his volleyball match, and if she was not mistaken, when he was fighting with his friend.

"Are you fighting with that friend of yours again?"

Kageyama gaped, looking at her like she had grown a third eye. Bingo.

"H-how-"

"Oh come now Tobio-chan. You should be more surprised if I _hadn't_ notice how upset you were." She said, scooping some rice into her mouth, swallowed before continuing. "So, what's the deal with you two? Disagreed on volleyball again?"

Kageyama stared at his own bowl of rice, shook his head before saying slowly,

"No. It's not volleyball related. At least, I don't think it is." He grew quiet for a moment. "I asked him what was bothering him, but he refuses to talk to me."

"Then maybe it's a personal issue." Nana said, thinking that that would be the end of the discussion.

"Yeah, but I thought he'd at least let me know about it. It's not a good feeling, being kept in the dark." Kageyama scowled at his tamago, his frustration still evident in his face. The maid continued eating before saying casually.

"Well, even if you guys are friends, you probably don't tell each other everything."

"And why the hell not?" The maid blinked at Kageyama, before the boy realized what he had said and blushed slightly.

"Sorry..." He said apologetically. "It's just, seeing him down like that..." He stabbed at their fish dish. "It bothers me. I can't stop thinking about it."

"Oh my..." Nana said, biting into her chopsticks. Kageyama looked up, his dark blue eyes glancing at the her, hand still posed to take a piece of their side dish. It might not be- then again, her instincts about these things were rarely wrong.

"Tell me a bit about your friend, Tobio-chan." She said, a sly smile hidden creeping to her lips. Kageyama's eyes looked sideways, his mind thinking.

"He's annoying." He started, "and a bit of an idiot. He talks big for someone super small- he's even shorter than you, Nana-san. His hair's usually all over the place, and he makes the dumbest jokes. His only redeeming quality would be his passion for volleyball." A small smile tugged at the boy's lips. "He gets super intense when we practice, even though his technique resembles that of an elementary school kid. He says dumb things like "gwaaaaaahhh" when he gets excited over a huge gym, or when his favorite manga updates. But when he jumps, sometimes he looks like he's flying. Oh, but he has horrible nerves before a match, and the _weirdest_ things calm him down. This one time-" Kageyama pauses at the warm look his maid is giving him. "What is it?" She shakes her head almost wistfully.

"Nothing. Just, never thought I'd see the day you'd have a crush on someone. I guess you have grown up after all."

"C-"

 _CRUSH?!_

Kageyama turns seven shades of red, his arms flailing so hard he knocked his rice bowl over.

"I don't have a crush on him!" His maid merely lifted her hand and started flicking her fingers one by one,

"You think about them all the time, you want to know everything going on in their life, and- you probably visual how they move and think too." Well, that last one had been a guess, but remembering her crushes in high school, the point resounded true enough.

Kageyama merely gaped, the last point hitting closer to home more than he'd like. Sure there had been times when he would visualize how Hinata would move on a particular day, his conditions and emotions, especially before a match. But that's strictly for volleyball purposes! He had never-

 _An image of Hinata, standing right in front of him, eyes blazing-_

"He's a boy!"

The maid only shrugged. "We're living in the 21st century, Tobio-chan. It wouldn't surprise me that much. Besides, when was the last time you've liked a girl anyway."

"Just because I worry and think about him, doesn't mean I like him!"

"Actually, it does."

Seeing how distressed the boy was, Nana decided to take pity on him. She gave a lighthearted giggle, meaning to lighten the mood and ease Kageyama's nerves. Still, she wonders if he'll realize it himself someday.

"Sorry for teasing you, Tobio-chan. You're the master of your own heart, you know. If you honestly have no romantic feelings for him, I won't bother you on the subject. Now, that drama I was telling you about..."

* * *

 _He dreams of scattered images._

 _Of a boy with frayed nerves before a competition, swearing that he'll win, no matter what the odds._

 _Of that same boy jumping so high he must've been gifted with wings at birth._

 _(Where had he been all these years, what had he been doing?)_

 _An image of him with tears streaming down his face, basking in the evening light, swearing that he'd be the one to defeat Kageyama one day._

 _The shape of the dream shifts..._

 _To that of a boy with fiery red hair, and arms enveloping him. Of heated moans and coy smiles._

" _Kageyama..."_

The boy jerks awake, his skin feeling too hot, his heartbeat too erratic. He grabs his mouth, his emotions running rampant inside of him.

What was that?!

 _What the hell was that?!_

The memory resurfaces, screaming at him with clarity, making his skin tingle in the cool air. He is suddenly aware of his erection, aware what such a dream meant.

And then-

 _He'll think I'm disgusting._

The boy's mind echo into the silence of the night.

* * *

A bit of Kageyama in this one. Hmm...

Sidenote: Reviews are like firewood to the blazing heat in my soul. Anything is much appreciated :)


	10. Chapter 9: PERSPECTIVE

**Chapter 9: PERSPECTIVE**

 **The Sun**

The boy was tired. He doesn't remember sleeping. There is a good possibility that he hasn't slept at all the previous night. He could feel how heavy his entire body is, as though his blood was exchanged with lead, and someone had stuffed his skull with cotton balls. He hopes today would be better. It has to be better.

He knew he could only avoid Kageyama for so long, but even so, when his eyes landed on the setter, Hinata couldn't help but make a dash for it. Kageyama, not to be dissuaded in the slightest, quickly chased after him, right into the toilet.

The toilet door closed behind him with a loud slam, making Hinata jump.

"Hinata!" Kageyama called, walking towards the shorter boy. He halted halfway, as if just realizing that he didn't exactly know how to breach the topic. Hinata could practically see the questions swimming in front of Kageyama. _Why did he stop coming to practice? Why is he avoiding Kageyama and the rest of his teammates? Why is it so hard for them to just talk?_

Knowing there was no escape, Hinata wondered if there was a way for him to divert the other boy's attention, if only for little while.

"Y-Yo, Kageyama!" He tried, hoping to pull off come sort of confident bravado.

"Hey..." Kageyama's demeanor changed a bit. He fidgeted to the point where even Hinata noticed how nervous he seemed to be, as though he was grasping at straws, as though he was trying really hard to remember how they used to have their conversations. His mannerisms felt awkward, the space between them uncomfortable, which gave a curious feeling in Hinata's chest. "... are you feeling better?" He asked, almost meekly.

Hinata has never seen Kageyama meek. Not once since the first day they had met. Hinata suddenly felt antsy, as if the fact that Kageyama had started acting differently is somehow proof that something was wrong- with Hinata.

"I'm perfectly fine!" Hinata burst out suddenly, "Perfectly well and healthy! So don't worry about it okay?"

Because the alternative is something he's not ready to face. If ever.

He felt Kageyama touch his shoulder, making him flinch. Hinata slaps his hand away. If he had been looking at the setter's face, he would see the hurt that flashed across it, see him reach out again, only to clench his fist tightly, as though touching Hinata was prohibited.

"Why won't you just tell us? What's wrong Hinata?" He pleaded, "You can tell us. Whatever it is, we can work it out, everyone in the volleyball club-" and Hinata in a rush to make sure he doesn't get caught, started gun firing the first thing that comes to his mind.

"Why are you so serious!? I said I'm fine so I'm fine!" He shouted, then realizing there were tears forming in his eyes, he turned around and walked towards the tissue dispenser. He wants Kageyama to leave him alone. He wants everyone to leave him alone. He doesn't anyone to _look_ at him. He's only half thinking when he says "We're nothing but teammates, and you keep-"

"Hinata!" and there's this desperation in his voice that makes Hinata's heart clench, but he could feel Kageyama coming closer to him.

Donttouchme

"Get away from me!" He said in a shrill voice. "Stop chasing me around!"

Donttouchme

"Stop forcing your way through!"

 _Donttouchme_

"I-"

 _ **Donttouchme**_

"it's _disgusting_!"

He hears Kageyama go silent, the tears sliding down his face. He's stretched too thin and the tears won't stop. He could almost feel Kageyama waiting, _hoping_ , that he'll take it back, that he'll turn around. And he does want to, he really wants to, but he can't.

"Fine." The word cut through their silence like a knife. "Then as a teammate I'll ask you to stop skipping out on training." Kageyama said, his voice like frost. "The tournament is around the corner. Get your shit together."

Then he slammed the door on the way out.

* * *

 **/Haikyuu/**

* * *

The bespectacled boy noticed Hinata walking across the baseball field in a rush, so much so that the shorter boy wasn't aware of Tsukishima until they were steps away. Tsukishima hadn't seen him at school yesterday. Neither did he see how pale his skin was, or how his eyes were shinning with unshed tears. Tsukishima calls out to him, asking him if he's planning on skipping practice again.

The fiery headed boy exploded.

"Can't you guys just leave me alone! Stop bothering me!" He has a manic look in his eyes, which Tsukishima glimpsed for a mere moment before the shorter boy started screaming at the ground. "I know the tournament is close! You don't need to keep reminding me to come to practice! I know! I get the memo! So just leave me alone! Stop bothering me about volleyball!"

An image of the team appears in Tsukishima's mind, how concerned all of them were, to the point of it affecting their own practice. He remembers the third years discussing amongst themselves, whether one of them should go to Hinata's house personally, to ask what was wrong. Despite the tournament being so close. Despite it being their final year to make all those years of practice count.

"Well we're sorry for bothering you so much. If you insist on being such a crybaby about it, why don't you just quit the club?" He said, wanting the words to hurt. "Not like it'll make much of a difference with you out of the picture."

"Tsukki-" Yamaguchi said, thinking his bespectacled friend said too much.

"It's true though. He's only valued now, but if he decides to make this a habit, only come when he feels like it, who knows how long it'll take to find a replacement for you. I'm sure Kageyama wouldn't mind someone more dedicated."

Hinata remained silent as he walked away.

"Tsukki, don't you think that's going too far?" Yamaguchi said but Tsukishima wasn't hearing him. He put on his headphones and headed for practice.

* * *

 **/Haikyuu/**

* * *

Hinata's chest hurt. He grabbed his bag quickly when the final period bell rang, and left his classroom before anyone else could stop him. He was on his way out of the school grounds when he saw Daichi and Sugawara. He contemplated telling them he can't make it to practice again. But one look at his shaking hands, and he knows he's not fit to see them, or anyone.

Maybe for another week, until his uncle leaves.

Then he hears their voices getting louder, their direction changing and soon they were walking towards his way. To avoid another painful confrontation, Hinata quickly hid in a nearby corner, hoping they wouldn't be passing by that particular area.

"Go on, say it. You've had that frown since first period."

"I'm worried about Hinata."

"Everyone's worried about Hinata."

"Yeah, but we're the senpais. We're supposed to comfort them. I mean, when we were going through freshman year, we were pretty high wired."

"Hinata will come around. We'll probably see him during practice later." Hinata feels the guilt clawing at his throat for not only eavesdropping (though unintentional) but also for planning to ditch practice again.

"But what if it's something serious, Daichi?" Suga said. "I mean, the tournament is coming up. You think it's pressure from that?" The light-haired boy paused, as though reflecting what he just said. "I mean, we're all anxious to do our best. Us especially..." He trailed off.

"It's probably nothing." Daichi said, a sort of finality to his tone. "You said it yourself, remember how we acted out when we were freshmen." Hinata doesn't see the wishful face Daichi makes, doesn't see the concern written there.

 _It's probably nothing_.

Hinata walks away. This is good, they don't suspect anything. This is what he's been trying so hard to make sure of.

 _Nothing._

He grabs his chest.

 _Then why does it hurt so much._

* * *

 **/Haikyuu/**

* * *

Hinata takes a detour, unwilling to go home yet. He walks around town, pass the commonplace cherry blossoms, and trod the same length of pavement he's been walking for months. His bicycle squeaked and gleamed under the sun, and it was so hot his tears were barely distinguishable from his sweat.

 _It's alright. Everything's alright._

"Ara, Shoyo-chan?" The fiery-haired boy looked up, a vision of his mother blurred by his tears, but there was no mistaking her. He hastily wiped his face, but from this distance, his mother probably wouldn't notice. She was in the middle of shopping, he could see.

"Hey, mom!" He said, adding a layer of cheerfulness that left a void in his chest. He looked at her, carrying a shopping basket in one hand, and empty in the other.

It felt like someone punched him in the stomach, a claw grabbing his heart.

"W-Where's Natsu?!"

Her voice sounded garbled as she told him she was at home with her uncle.

"Why –how could you leave her?!"

A few passersby glanced at their direction. Hinata's mother gave them an apologetic look, and then scolded Hinata for being so loud. "Keep your voice down, Shoyo. We're in public."

But Hinata refused to listen, demanding that his mother stop shopping at once and return home. His mother, red in the face from embarrassment, scolds Hinata for making a scene.

"Hinata, you're a big boy now, stop all this nonsense!"

"I have to go home now!" If he bikes it'll take too long. He needs his mother to drive.

"Mom, please, I'll do anything, we need to go now" He pleaded, nearly hysterical. "You don't understand," he starts pulling her. His mother pulls back.

"Enough!"

Everyone stares.

A couple pass them by, whispering as they do.

"Natsu is at home with her uncle. If anything happens he would call, and he has a car. Now stop this horrible behavior and let me finish my shopping Shoyo."

He paddled dangerously, as dangerously as he dared to do. When he reached home, the house looked like it always did but it set Hinata's nerves on edge. Back slicked with sweat and panting heavily, Hinata marched to the front porch. Somewhere in that house, that monster was walking, breathing , and Natsu's inside there alone.

He pushed the door open, started searching frantically and was ready to start screaming when he sees them. They were in the living room, Natsu curled on his lap and fast asleep. The sight made him feel revolted.

"You took your time coming home. I told you to come straight back." He said.

Hinata clenched his hands, and forced out the words "I'm sorry."

This apparently pleased him, and so he gently removed himself, making sure not to stir the sleeping child awake. The one over he gave her made Hinata squirm.

"Tomorrow," He said slowly, eyes still on Natsu, "don't be late." When he finally looked up, Hinata was shaking, both from fury and fear.

He doesn't know which was predominant.

All he remembers is feeling particularly alone.

* * *

A/N: It's national hurt baby Hinata day!

As usual, Reviews are blessings bestowed to the poor writer.

Starxnova08: yeah, I took a reaaally long hiatus. THANKS FOR THE REVIEW *Cries internally*


	11. Chapter 10: GUT FEELING

**Chapter 10: GUT FEELING**

 **The Moon**

The weekend rolls around, giving a reprieve to all students throughout Japan. The constant strain of the week comes to a stop (or more of a pause) as Shimizu sent a quick announcement via multiple emails that they would not be having practice, and all members were advised to rest.

Given his nature, Tsukishima was not one to wake up late despite the promise of inactivity that stretched before him. The blonde went about his morning routine, his pace slower than usual as his mind was occupied.

Despite the fact that he had brushed aside his conscience easily enough the previous day, Tsukishima was in fact feeling slightly peeved at himself for how he acted towards a certain fiery headed boy. Contrary to what Yamaguchi might believe, Tsukishima did not believe himself to be as calm and collected as he would have liked. If the bespectacled boy was being honest, he would admit that he had very little control over his sharp tongue, his emotion sometimes getting the best of himself and often times manifests into something akin to cold anger.

Thinking about it was cumbersome, trying to change it even more so. His mind would attribute it to adolescence, and staunchly told the rest of himself that it would fix itself with time. Still, the face of a certain fiery-headed, hyperactive boy kept appearing before his mind, and with a resigned sigh, the boy escaped from the bathroom to change into running clothes.

He wasn't going to have any peace of mind if he stayed at home the entire day. He tells himself that he can't rest easy anyway, at least until Hinata gives him a reasonable excuse as to why he's been acting so strange the past few days.

Tsukishima finds his elder brother situated on their dining table with the news blaring in the background. With a scowl, Tsukishima made his way to the television set, determined that if he wasn't going to have peace within, he damn well will have it outside.

" _So as you can see, Mr. Morinaga is obviously a family man! Dedicating his personal time to his wife and kids regardless how busy his schedule becomes, such an example-"_

" _That's very generous of you, if I didn't know better, I might even say you might be biased! I'm sure we have a Taki voter in our midst."_

" _Nonsense, I am strictly professional in my analysis. But if you prefer Mr. Hachiru, who has not only contributed very little in his position as-"_

"Nii-san, I'm switching the television off." He said, giving fair warning.

" _Some say Mr. Morinaga is sure to lead in the elections, why the statistics alone-"_

Akiteru Tsukishima looked up from his phone for a minute, as though just realizing that the television was turned on.

"Oh. Sure, I wasn't watching anyway. I think it was mom." He said, then resumed his attention towards his phone, his toast before him slowly turning cold. The absence of noise was a blessing, and Tsukishima's scowl finally faded from his face. He made his way to his brother, grabbing a piece of fruit from the middle of their table and started eating it.

"Where's mom?" Tsukishima asked.

"Shopping in the market. Said that if you wanted anything, she'll cook when she returns." Akiteru looked up, seeing his little brother properly, and noted the athletic wear. "You guys have practice today?"

Tsukishima shook his head. "Going for a run." He said simply. He looked at his brother's phone and asked, "girlfriend?"

Akiteru's reaction was immediate, his face flushed a deep crimson color, his voice loud as he denied it. "No no! It's a friend of mine, wanted to know about a job, I don't even have a girlfriend-"

The bespectacled boy smiled slightly, his face amused.

"I'm just joking, Nii-san." He ate slowly, the hours seem to stretch in front of him. He looked at the clock behind his brother, who was still blushing slightly (trying and failing to look dignified). 7.10am. Well, an early run was better than nothing. "So your friend," Tsukishima said, continuing their conversation "why does he want to find a job? I'm assuming he's a friend from college. Money problems?" Akiteru only looked mildly surprised. Ever since Tsukishima had started dedicating himself to volleyball, their conversations had started flowing easier, much like it used to be when they were younger.

"As usual, your guess is right. It is a friend from college, well, was. He's dropping out next week." Tsukishima showed slight interest, so Akiteru continued with an explanation. "Well, he wasn't really interested in what he was studying. Besides, he was dead set on getting a job in a company that markets digital goods. His parents are a bit old fashioned though, wanted him to become a teacher."

Tsukishima hummed around his breakfast. There was a comfortable silence surrounding the two brothers, before curiosity won Akiteru over, and he asked Tsukishima,

"What about you, Kei?"

"What about me?" He asked, slightly confused with the line of questioning.

"What are you planning to do once you graduate?"

Tsukishima looked at the piece of fruit in his hand, rolling it over.

"Something corporate, probably." He said simply. "I don't really mind anything, as long as the pay is good." At this, Akiteru gave a hearty laugh. The bespectacled boy smiled in return.

* * *

 **/Haikyuu/**

* * *

Tsukishima leaves the house some time later, when the morning air was cool and the spring heat was still hidden behind mist and dew. He starts with a stretch, and then an easy pace. He doesn't let himself think too much as he makes his way to Hinata's residential area, telling himself that nothing was a matter, and he was probably going to be laughed at.

He remembers Hinata's face as he brushed aside volleyball. It did not line up with Hinata's character at all. Either the past few months had been nothing more than an elaborate joke- no that can't be. There are some things you just can't feign. And his emotion, passion and dedication towards volleyball fell within that category.

The mountain climb towards the shorter boy's area was torturous, and Tsukishima had to internally commend Hinata for taking this route every day to school. This could, no joke, be the secret behind the boy's unending source of stamina. When he finally reached the other side of the miniature mountain, he continued in a slow and steady pace.

Amid the cherry blossoms, Tsukishima sees him; sitting on a swing set alone, his eyes downcast. He seems to be lost in thought. Tsukishima considered his options on how to approach when the fiery headed boy suddenly jerked to attention as his phone rang. Tsukishima couldn't quite see his face when he read whatever message was displayed on the boy's screen. The smaller boy stood up from his spot, put on a cap, and started walking away. Tsukishima discreetly followed him.

 **The Sun**

He had been lost in thought when the dreaded message finally came, and with it his pre-designated destination. He was understandably nervous. After all, he had just received the address to a hotel. Hinata's mom had been very cross with him yesterday, and it irked him even more to remember when his uncle had swooped in and laughed it off. Had told her teens were unpredictable on the best days and not to be too hard on Hinata. He even side hugged Hinata, as though to prove something. It made Hinata's heart nearly stop. He doesn't know how he managed to excuse himself to his room after that but he did.

And then his uncle sneaked in a few hours later.

Hinata shuddered at the memory.

He was told to meet up with him in the afternoon, when his uncle didn't have anything planned for his campaigning activities.

The fiery-headed boy looked at the address written, swallowed his fears and followed it.

 _Just a while longer. Then everything will go back to normal._

 **The Moon**

The bespectacled boy scowled at an unsuspecting passerby, nearly making her cry. He ended up tailing Hinata, feeling uncomfortable with both the idea, and the sweaty attire he had had the misfortune of wearing. He followed Hinata until they entered a subway train that led into their neighboring city.

 _Great, and when he meets up with some childhood friend in a café somewhere, then you'll realize what an idiot you're being._

Still, the bespectacled boy couldn't help but keep an eye on the shorter boy anyway, who was nearly invisible in the crowd of train passengers. From the few glimpses he could catch, Hinata kept fidgeting where he stood, as though he's afraid to run into someone he knows.

When Hinata exited at one of the train stops, Tsukishima had a hard time sidestepping his way through the crowd. His height had given him a slight advantage though. Had he not been so tall, he might've lost sight of the shorter boy ages ago. He kept trailing his teammate, so focused on not losing his track that he was surprised when the boy stopped short. Tsukishima's eyes widened.

They had reached the love hotel district.

The bespectacled boy definitely did not want to be seen within a mile of the place, not on a weekend, or any day for that matter. He saw the shorter boy making his way nervously through, looking at his phone as though consulting it. Tsukishima thought it best not to jump to conclusions. Maybe Hinata was just passing through.

But then the shorter boy stopped in front of a shady looking hotel, one Tsukishima would not deem a second glance had he been alone. And then the boy entered it, his back disappearing into the looming double doors, looking especially small.

Tsukishima reeled. He can't follow him inside without bringing attention to himself. He tries to recollect his thoughts, but there are too many people in the area leering at him. He gives them a disgusted look and walks away angrily. On a normal day, the idea that Hinata was sneaking off to love hotels instead of practice would've been so ludicrous Tsukishima might even laugh.

What an upset the world could be.

 **The Sun**

The bed smelled musky.

"Guhh..." The man above him grunted, thrusting into him harder.

The boy felt hot. He had been given alcohol to drink, the taste of it still lingering in his mouth. He had lost count how many shots he had taken after multiple glasses. It had been hard to keep track in between the horrible vomiting.

The world was spinning.

In a way, the daze was almost welcoming compared to the constant terror he had become accustomed to the past few days.

He can't even remember the last time he's thought of volleyball.

* * *

/

/

/

A/N:

If I keep this up, I might actually finish before the end of the year hahhahahahaa

TheRealKags: hahahahahhaha I can't help it though. Sometimes it just sorta writes on its own. I am a mere slave to whatever it is that's writing this story. xD THANK YOU FOR REVIEWING :3


	12. Chapter 11: THE ART OF FEAR (part three)

**Chapter 11: THE ART OF FEAR (part three)**

 **Day Seven**

"It's something I've been meaning to try." The man said casually, holding up an aluminum case. The boy looks at him with trepidation. He doesn't say anything, hasn't said anything in quite a while, knowing at this point that anything he said would only be brushed aside or punished severely.

The man places the case on the ground and fiddles with it away from the boy's peripheral vision. The boy wished he could be swallowed up by the walls that contained him. His eyes stayed on the man, wary and tired. He wonders if this will be quick, hopes that it will be painless at least.

"Aren't you little bit curious, Shoyo?" The man asks. Lifting his hand, he produces a thin metal rod with a circular hoop connected to it. The boy remains quiet, not knowing what it was being presented before him. "Come now, a healthy boy like you should want to know," He places the rod between his teeth, a mad glint in his eyes, before swaying it playfully. "There's an allure to it isn't there?"

Again he is met with silence. The man doesn't mind though, placing the contraption back in its case.

"At any rate, you must be starved." He continues his one sided conversation. "Let's eat."

/Haikyuu/

"Say it."

The boy sobbed.

The boy begged.

" _Say it."_

It felt like drowning.

"I- like...- "

It felt like dying.

 **Day Eight**

He held his left hand up towards the artificial light, noting the slight tremble that would never truly go away, no matter how much his captor has fed him, or how much he has slept. The tremble would still be there. His vision would sometimes go blurry after staring at the aforementioned hand for so long, and his mind would wander away.

The silence was deafening.

The boy notes that the man returns at odd intervals, giving the boy something to anticipate besides the constant light and empty silence. It is odd, but the boy is anxious for the man to return. At least then he'll know time is moving, and he still exists within this world.

Maybe , a faint whisper rose within the boy, maybe the man wasn't so bad, not really, not anymore. He stopped treating the boy so harshly, started being more generous with the portion sizes of his food. The food tasted good as well, and the baths were warm and inviting.

Yeah, it wasn't so bad anymore.

 _The boy was starting to become more honest with himself. It became easier to bring him to climax, to coax the moans from his mouth. This was no surprise though, the man had always known what existed within the boy, his internal wants and needs. Knew it in the way the boy's body bent and twitched, in the way his eyes turned hazy within minutes of their sexual activities._

 _He wanted the boy to know it too._

" _Chin up, Shoyo," The man said, directing the boy to look at himself in the mirror placed before them. He wanted the boy to see his expression, see his leaking member, and know exactly why the man feels the way he does. The boy doesn't comment on it, merely mewls softly as the man started thrusting once again. The man smiles at their sinful image, whispers to the smaller boy , "and smile for the camera."_

 **Day Nine**

His memory befuddles him. He doesn't remember most of their sexual explorations, doesn't remember if he has eaten recently or not. Sometimes the boy would wake from his slumber, notice that the man was missing, and then begins sobbing quietly. After a minute or so, the boy would usually stop, blink as though he can't quite comprehend what is happening before going back to sleep.

At some point, the man had coaxed the boy to relax with him after one of their more rigorous sexual acts. The boy, still coated in sweat and semen, laid on the man's thigh.

"I especially like this one," the man comments at a scene where the boy was giving him head. The boy looks towards the screen of the television, seeing nothing at all.

 **Day Ten**

Something was different.

Though the room still felt the same, and the constant void within the boy was ever present, he felt something amiss. It had been in the way the man was quiet -not like his usual cheerful self- in the way he looked at the boy with remorse. After sorting through the boxes, the man finally latches himself onto the boy, cradles him within his arms like a small child. In their seated position the room looked large and looming.

"I'm sad, Shoyo." The man lamented, nuzzling where the boy's shoulder and neck met. Then he sighed and looked upwards, staring at nothing at all.

The boy looked towards the grown man, such a curious creature. His hair was swept to one side, his eyes slightly slanted, but not unappealing. The boy absentmindedly wondered what might've happened to this man to shape him into what he is today. The line of thought was quick to vanish though, replaced with the distinct feeling of ragged fatigue. The boy leaned his weight towards the man, his arms felt heavy, his insides cold. He can't remember a time where he felt any different.

The man hugged him tighter, moaning his woes; that the world was cruel and imperfect, that life was difficult on the best days, and that since he had tried so hard to be normal, doesn't he deserved a break once in a while? The man might've shed a few tears, but the boy couldn't be sure.

They stayed in that position for a long while.

When the boy's eyes had started drooping slightly, the man finally shifted his weight and got on his feet, his face showing sad determination. He grabbed what he had brought down with him moments ago and presented it to the boy, as though it was an offering of some kind. The boy looked at him with dead eyes, and opened the plastic bag that contained a bottle of milk. Without another word from the man, the boy placed the lid to his lips, drinking its contents in one go.

The liquid was tinged with bitter aftertaste.

The man returned to his former position, and another litany of sorrows escaped him, lulling the tired boy into a trance-like state.

His eyes dimmed, his pulse slowed down.

The world disappeared.

/Haikyuu/

"..ke up... h..." The world was warm, a hand was gripping his left arm too tightly. He opened his eyes blearily.

The light above was artificial.

Nothing had changed. The world was stagnant.

And then a woman's face appeared before him, aged and scowling.

"Don't just sleep on people's porch boy!" The boy jerked away, his heartbeat jack-rabbited so fast he could hear it beating in his ears. He moved too quickly, his balance failing and then he finds himself toppling over, falling gracelessly onto the ground.

The wood beneath his hands felt rough and warm. The boy opened his mouth, a strangled sound coming out.

"Hey! Are you okay boy?" The woman said. The boy looked around him, seeing the wooden chair he fell off, the potted plants growing an assortment of flowers. Feel the hot breeze grazing his skin.

He must be dreaming. His psyche must've finally caved and had created a surreal hallucination that _felt too damn real_. A manic thought crossed his mind, that he was now insane and broken, that the world would continue to spin without him being a part of it anymore.

Then his ears adjusted.

And a jumble of sounds reached his ears, that of crickets, of cars, of old men chattering started to fill the void.

His eyes looked down to see his hands once more. Moved it experimentally, felt his nails scraping the wood.

"Hey!" He turns to look at the woman, her face a picture of worry and surprise, of emotions he had forgotten existed-

His throat clenched,

His vision blurred.

And then the floodgates opened.

Hiccupping through his sobs, he grabbed at the woman, grabbed her as if his life depended on it.

.

Time started moving again.

A/N: , if anyone noticed the random dot in the middle of nowhere... well.. when you're so desperate for that one line break but ff . net refuses to oblige xD

p.s in search of a beta-reader. lemme know if you're interested? xoxo


	13. Chapter 12: DELUSION

**Chapter 12: DELUSION**

Shisetsu Akira was a simple woman, slightly on the thin side and nearing her 60's. There was nothing much left in the world that could surprise the aged woman, and even fewer things that pleased her. For this reason, she kept to herself and followed a strict routine. Her mornings are comprised of a daily walk and on alternate days, shopping; though even this small activity had started vexing her severely. For instance, just the other day she had gone to the market and found their vegetable selections appalling. And the prices!

If only her children came home more often. She wouldn't mind the prices half as much if she knew there would be someone at home waiting to be fed.

One curious morning, just as she was about to leave her home, she found a boy sleeping on her porch. He was so tired that no amount of prodding would wake him up. He probably ran away from home, she mused inwardly. He'd regret it soon enough the moment he wakes. Oh how the boy's mother must be out of her mind with worry!

She gave a disapproving tut and then made her way inside to procure a thin blanket. She then wrapped the boy, tucking him in on both sides for good measure before heading off briskly. He would probably leave before she returned.

But when the woman once again came home from her shopping, she found the boy still there, perched on the bench where she had left him.

She wondered if she should wake him. It was already nearing 10 in the morning and the boy still hadn't moved. She shook her head and went inside. Shisetsu lived comfortably enough with the support of her three children, all of whom had done well in the corporate world. So well that their companies could not afford to let them go, even for a short visit to their aged mother. Without really thinking about it, she had made enough food for two.

Really now, she was getting old.

When the afternoon sun was at its peak, and the heat was nearly unbearable, Shisetsu finally decided to prod the boy once again. It wouldn't do to have the child die of a heatstroke right there on her porch. What would the neighbors say?

What she hadn't been prepared for though was the manic way the boy had woken up. He reacted as though he had been violently shaken. He woke with a start, had looked as though he was, well, a wild creature seeing civilization for the first time. His orange-red hair looked unkempt, his skin dry and pale. And his eyes...

It reminded her too much of her elder cousins during her younger days, those that had witnessed and survived the war. One of them in particular came to her mind. She shunned the memory. After all, she was busy enough trying to calm the crying child in front of her.

Still, the way he trembled even as she escorted him inside, you'd think it was ice cold instead of blazing outside.

* * *

/Haikyuu/

* * *

The boy clutched the blanket he was given, the tremors had yet to leave him. He felt as though he was in a suspended state. In his mind, he knew he had somehow managed to escape the man (the very image of him made the boy shudder) but he was lost as to what he's supposed to do next.

He's out. So now what?

Every time his mind brings this question forth, his actions are limited to looking at the walls before him, at the ceiling high above him, at anything but the question itself. How strange it was to feel so disconnected, so detached.

He hears the clinking of glasses, of plates and cutleries, and suddenly there is a meal before him. The woman has a similar set before her.

"Eat." She said. His eyes looked at the meal; rice, miso soup, stewed beef and some pickled vegetables. His hand picked up the chopsticks and with a quiet 'Itadakimasu', they began eating in silence. The woman didn't question him at all, didn't say anything beyond asking if he wanted seconds.

He politely refused and thanked her for the meal.

The woman set out to clean the table as he stared at her. And then he stood up to help. It would be rude not to. The woman merely nodded her approval and they set out to clear, to wash and to put the dishes away. The only words uttered by the woman were commands of when to give her the plates, or where to keep them.

They were done in record time.

* * *

/Haikyuu/

* * *

The meal made the boy feel drowsy. He could feel warmth spreading from within him, that, coupled with the blanket currently on his shoulders, he felt like he was wrapped in a cocoon of lulling exhaustion. Slowly he curled on the ground. He could still hear the nice woman walking in a room nearby.

It didn't take long for the boy to fall sleep. Just beyond his level of consciousness he could've sworn he felt someone shift him onto something soft and tucking him in...

 _The boy dreams of jagged images._

 _Of running in a never-ending corridor, shadows nipping at his heels from behind._

 _Of empty grey walls that held no warmth and comfort, and constant light that was both blinding and suffocating._

 _Of a smile that stretched too wide, and an oppressive pain slowly giving way to unwanted pleasure._

 _ **Stop**_

 _In the vivid flickering imagery of his nightmares, it is always the man that lingers._

 _Hiding in the corners._

 _Leering before him._

 _Or breathing from behind._

 _ **Stop**_

He is jerked awake by the woman. The world is dark but the air is different. It smells of jasmine tea, and floral incents. He is sweating profusely and his stomach rebelled against the meal he had, threatening to upheave itself right then and there. The boy grips his mouth and tries to still the nausea rising within him. He bites down on the fears of his nightmares, hating the aftertaste of it.

"Toilet-" He gags out before the woman leads him to it.

He feels the soothing strokes on his back as he vomits into the toilet bowl, and though it brings some comfort to him, the tears still fall anyway.

/Haikyuu/

Somehow night comes.

The woman had made a gallant effort to get him to talk; had asked him for his name, for his home address, for a phone number. But to each question he gives nothing but a catatonic stare. The woman sighed, something weary in her features. She mentioned the police but the boy merely looked sideways. Her efforts for another meal were also rejected with that same indifferent look.

Eventually the woman gives up, clears the dishes away and prepares for the night.

"Good night." The woman says, leaving the boy in the living room lying motionless on the futon. Something about the sight tugged at her heart. The sleep that follows for her is a restless one.

/Haikyuu/

The moon was out, casting long shadows around him. He has not seen the darkness for so long, had forgotten that it contained shapeless nightmares within them.

He imagines going back home. Imagines explaining where he's been to his family.

The man appears beside him, a ghost that prickled at his skin, whispered to him all the sinful things they've done together, all the secrets he could never tell.

That he enjoyed it.

" _I- like-..."_

He covers his ears with his hands.

 _The pleasure was too much, but the man wouldn't let him come. The boy knew, that if he twisted a bit, the man would hit something within him- something unmentionable, something too shameful to ever escape his lips- but it would bring him release, it would end this. "No- not..." the boy's lips wobbled. "-not there..."_

And suddenly he's back in that room. Back to feeling small and scared, back to gasping in desperation...

 **You liked it...**

He imagines how everyone would look at him, with pitying and disgusted looks. His mother, his father… God, what would they say? And Natsu? How could he ever face Natsu?

He is tugging at his hair, feels his chest constrict and expand at the same time, feels an invisible hand clutching his throat, making it hard to breathe...

Disgusting, so fucking disgusting-

 **You liked it...**

Maybe he should've stayed there. Maybe he should've disappeared. Be a boy who just went missing. He could run... he could disappear...

 **You liked it.**

The boy was close to breaking, standing on the precipice with a fall that seemed endless. The wrong footing, another nudge and he would fall-

 _You could pretend it never happened._

He jerked his head, looking at his shadow. It sounded like his own voice. Like a phantom suddenly appearing, prying his hands away from his ears and speaking to him with reason. He could hear his heartbeat, feel the tense knot in his stomach peak

 _Pretend it never happened._

That's right. What was this but a negligence of the world, a mistake that should never have happened, that should never be uttered? He looked beyond the shadows, imagined his life as it stretched before him, but this time how it was- _is_ meant to be. He was just a boy, just a boy from a small town who liked volleyball. Who liked spring and going to the beach with Natsu.

What was this but a small misstep?

What was this but a figment of his imagination…

 _It never happened._

He stared at his shadows, didn't even notice when sleep finally caught him in its clutches.

The boy dreams once more, of a place that was empty save for a still river. He looks down and sees himself, happy and whole, no evidence of physical abuse anywhere. He hears the creaking of metal on metal, and looks up.

Just beyond his grasp appeared an iron-wrought cage, black as midnight and twice his height. The door was slightly ajar, revealing a boy who is sitting within it. He looked small, hugging his legs as he did. His eyes looked dead.

 _ **Would you deny me?**_

The boy within the cage cocked his head.

The fiery-headed boy felt fear prickled within him, and he rushed forward. In a blink, his hands had grabbed the cold metal of the cage door, swinging it shut with shaking hands.

The slam reverberated through the empty space.

 _You're better off there._

* * *

/Haikyuu/

* * *

Shisetsu was an aged woman. She had seen many things in her lifetime and was sure there was little left in the world that surprised her.

And yet...

When she woke up the next morning, she found a bashful boy. He fidgeted but he smiled. His actions are reckless but they were portrayed with much conviction. His manner was so different Shisetsu wondered if the boy had a twin, and they had swapped places in the middle of the night.

He said he ran away from home, something foolish that he promises never to do again.

Stunned, the woman asked if he was feeling all right.

He smiled at her, somewhat embarrassed. Asked if they could call his mother.

In a matter of hours a petite woman comes knocking on her door, pale as a sheet and trembling with both anger and (as she bear hugged the boy) relief. His mother thanked and apologized to Shisetsu profusely, ordering her son to do the same. He complied without hesitation.

Gone was the empty look, the quivering, frightened boy she found on the porch, who cried in his sleep and refused the talk for hours.

She wondered if she imagined it, or if children these days were stranger than she expected.

Shisetsu could hear the mother berating the son even as their figures started shrinking in distance, seeing the last image of the boy walking away, hand on his chest and a watery smile on his face.

* * *

 **A/N:** Finally got a new beta! She's the wonderful jia . kameda *round of applause* if you're interested in a lil TsukixHina pairing (since you don't find much here lol) check out her recent work Most Important. Happy early Halloween you guys! XOXO


	14. Chapter 13: A PLACE OF LEARNING

**Chapter 13: A PLACE OF LEARNING**

 **THE SUN**

A black, heavily tinted sedan was parked within close vicinity of Karasuno High. It was situated in a blind spot, and while the students of said high school crossed the gates without so much as a second glance, the two individuals within the car could see the students well enough. The younger of the two felt immense anxiety over this.

"W-we can't! Stop!" Hinata pushed at the intrusive hand desperately. His uncle had thought of a notion that morning; he wanted to send both Natsu and Hinata to school, seeing what a rare opportunity it was for his schedule to permit it. Hinata had been pale when he woke up, had had a throbbing headache so loud it was debilitating, and had planned to skip school altogether. How could anyone enjoy drinking that ghastly concoction _knowing_ the consequences of it?

But when the man rapped on his door and announced his intentions... Hinata couldn't possibly have left Natsu alone in a car with that monster.

And that is how Hinata finds himself Monday morning, trapped in the car with his uncle who had started to touch him relentlessly. His eyes stung with tears, at the fear of being caught, at the humiliation of how easy it was for him to-

"Uhnn-" The man nipped at his ears, leaning over from the driver's seat. Hinata knew the man had planned something this morning, but never had he imagined him to be so bold as to do this in the car. Near Hinata's school no less. "Stop!" He keened. "I- I have classes!"

The older man continued stroking the younger boy, eliciting a gasp from him. "We can have classes right here. Don't worry, I'll let you off before school ends."

Hinata doesn't know what to hold or where to look. A voice screams in the back of his mind, that they were going to get caught, that someone would pass by and they would see-

"Please!" He sobbed, wringing his hands harder. The older man merely shushed him.

"Keep your voice down."

 **THE MOON**

The morning bell rings throughout the school, calling all students like a homing device and directing them indoors. Tsukishima, upon starting first period finds the material in front of him less appealing than usual. He has read the same passage three times in his mind and still it made no sense to him. He exhaled through his nose but when he looks up, he notices that his teacher was looking at him as though she was about to cry.

"A-Alright, m-m-maybe not Tsukishima..." Apparently she had called out to him. His scowl intensified. "Any- anyone- Yamaguchi!" She pointed at the boy. "Read!" She ordered.

At the freckled boy's startled yelp, the class littered with smothered giggles. The awkward boy fumbled his way through the requested passage but when he sat down, he gave a worried look towards his bespectacled friend. One that Tsukishima blatantly ignored.

The blond boy exuded frustration. The more he thought about what he had witnessed (he gritted his teeth every time he pictured the orange-headed boy disappearing into that dingy hotel) the more confused and repelled he felt. Tsukishima could only deduce that whoever Hinata's lover was, they were probably older, seeing how they could afford the luxury of going to a love hotel. No matter how shabby it was.

What was a teammate supposed to do in this situation? Tsukishima wasn't particularly close to Hinata. He didn't know where Hinata stood on the intimacy spectrum, but what he did in his own time was definitely no business of Tsukishima's. If anything, the situation probably warranted some level of discretion.

So what was this surging emotion? It was ridiculous but somehow Tsukishima felt... betrayed. They had worked hard, had spouted nonsense of the impossible and even aimed for nationals together. He would never admit it outright but a part of him had believed them, had believed that each and every one of them were pushing themselves for this cause. He felt betrayed by the idea that maybe that wasn't true.

He would never admit that outright, his pride made sure of it. So instead he decides to throw those feelings aside.

The stupid shorty could do whatever the fuck he wanted.

"Tsuki..." He heard Yamaguchi whisper beside him, pointing to the rumpled page in his hand he had unknowingly crushed.

He sighed in frustration once more.

* * *

/Haikyuu/

* * *

When it was time for practice, it became clear that while some of the team members were physically there, their minds were elsewhere. This is especially apparent with both Tsukishima and Kageyama. The bespectacled blocker couldn't help but glance at their setter. He sets and passes the ball efficiently enough, but whenever someone calls out to him, he doesn't hear them. Concentration on a game is one thing, using it to block out everything else is another. Because of this, he had missed subtle signs from their spikers, rendering his precise tosses useless.

Tsukishima was no better. He felt more lethargic than usual and they weren't even 15 minutes into their practice. Anyone watching from the sidelines would probably wonder if the tall, intimidating player was forced to be there.

"Tsukishima, Kageyama." Their coach called. Both of them flinched. "Side court."

They exchanged dissatisfied looks with one another before shuffling their feet to face Ukai.

"I'm not sure what's going on with the two of you but your plays are halfhearted." He said, eyeing them seriously. "If you guys can't get your heads in the game, I suggest the both of you cool off. Come back when you're ready." He gave them an understanding look, and gestured for them to scram.

They walked away, too dejected to even feel mortified over the public scolding. Tsukishima grabbed his water bottle, his eyes trailing after Kageyama who left the gymnasium first, head hung low.

* * *

/Haikyuu/

* * *

Tsukishima had always been a good student. He followed rules because he realized there was a fundamental reason for their existence and so he did what he thought was necessary to promote order as a student. Therefore, Tsukishima, rule abider that he was, would have no reason to be familiar with the west side of their school campus, where no classes were held, no clubrooms nor any other facility of any kind. Nothing but an abandoned building set for demolition in the near future. The area was a hotspot for delinquents who wished to escape from school without actually _leaving_ school.

It is in this very area that Tsukishima had chosen to find some peace and reprieve from volleyball. He doesn't know why this place in particular, he just needed to get away from it all for a moment. He had hoped for an empty lot of land behind the abandoned building, maybe a rickety empty bench or two.

Not for a familiar figure to be huddled in the most secluded area, on his knees, giving another man a blowjob.

The shock of it made the bespectacled boy freeze on the spot.

Something within him whispered hide, _move_ , get away from the scene. Contrary to what he had witnessed the day before, he hadn't really believed, not to his core, that Hinata was of capable this, not now and definitely not in front of Tsukishima.

He hears the man grunt, hears sounds he had only heard once before when some immature classmates of his had shoved porn into his face, and laughed when the girls in his class had squealed in horror and disgust.

"That's it, Shoyo- fuck, you've gotten so good..." Tsukishima wanted to be miles away. He didn't want to hear this. His body didn't listen though, only managed to turn slowly as he leaned his back on the corner wall for support. In the back of Tsukishima's mind, he recognizes the man from somewhere, had seen him in the public news recently, but the thought was soon forgotten when he heard the man give another grunt.

"Fuck, there.. " A chill went up Tsukishima's spine, about the _wrongness_ of it all. Hinata... Just. What was _happening_? His hand went up to rub his face, knocking his glasses askew. Disgust, confusion, anger; they mixed in a concoction of emotions that left a sour taste in his mouth.

He hears the man give a breathy moan, hears Hinata choke and cough before breathing heavily. Then he hears the man praise Hinata before the shorter boy shuffled back to his feet. Tsukishima doesn't know what force tugged at him to catch a glimpse of the scene playing out, but he sees the man bend down to kiss Hinata's cheek affectionately before leaving the boy there.

Hinata seemed to be paralyzed for a moment, staring off in the direction of where the man had walked away before finally coming to. Tsukishima stands but his legs refuse to move. He hears footfalls coming closer and knows that he has the option to run, walk away and pretend he never saw this. His legs remained firmly planted though, his emotions raging inside of him. And then Tsukishima rounds the corner, meeting face to face with the shorter boy.

 **THE SUN**

A few more days.

A few more days and he'd be free.

He tastes something unpleasant on his tongue.

Right, it was cum.

He wipes it away, feeling an odd chill settling over him. His fingers feel numb, his insides quiet like the calm before a storm.

A few more days.

The boy walks away, determined never to set foot near the place ever again.

 _It never happened._

And then suddenly, there appeared a pair of golden eyes.

His stomach turned.

No.

"Is this why you can't come to practice?" Tsukishima seethed.

Hinata sees white, feels as though his head is about to split open. And then-

He vomits on the spot.

It's too much.

Tsukishima stands there anyway, towering over him in a way Hinata has never seen before. When did everything go so _wrong_. He feels the world spin beneath his feet. It was supposed to be a regular day, another uselessly familiar day spent thinking and playing volleyball, of begging Yachi for exams tips, of teasing Kageyama about more stupid, volleyball-related things.

Like always.

Suddenly his mouth is moving.

Deny it. (Don't tell them, please)

"You can't brush me off again, Hinata."

Deny it. (Please, not the team)

"Hinata!"

Deny it. (I can't)

 _ **Would you deny me?**_

Tsukishima takes a step forward, hands hanging awkwardly in mid-air.

DENY IT.

"I can't!" He forces out. The light is too bright. He feels the pressure building in the back of his head. He grits his teeth.

"If I say something-" _If I say something I might not be able to pretend anymore, I'm scared, afraid, I don't want to spell it out, I don't want to say it because if I do_

"I can't."

 **THE MOON**

The shorter boy was in a frenzy. It didn't matter how Tsukishima phrased his question, Hinata seemed unable to formulate anything coherent.

Then again, he _had_ just caught Hinata in a compromising position.

Whatever the case, the fiery-headed boy looked unwell and the stench of vomit was still very evident around them. Tsukishima frowned, suddenly too aware of the boy's trembling shoulders. Maybe it was the shock of being found out that had him so shaken. Quieting his raging emotions for a moment, he gave the shorter boy a once-over. Hinata swayed on his feet, his head still down casted.

Even though Tsukishima still wanted answers, he realizes that the shorter boy was in no condition to give him any. The bespectacled decides to make a compromise, he sees that he needs to understand the situation more and maybe give Hinata a little room to collect himself. He promises not to tell anyone, and Hinata, right before his eyes, collapses.

* * *

/

/

A/N: Beta-creds to jia . kameda , lovely as always :3

manga . geek . 3 : I can't wait either xD Thanks for reviewing by the way! You seriously made my day! [and yes it took me days to come up with that rhyme :P]


	15. Chapter 14: CONVERGE

**Chapter 14: CONVERGE**

 **Kageyama**

Of all the things he should be doing, Kageyama knows that loitering around the vending machines near the art room was not one of them. Especially since practice was currently in session and the Spring High tournament was lurking just around the corner, making Kageyama feel unsettled. He has never felt this way before a competition. Excitement, yes. Nervous, heck yeah. But amid those emotions there had always been the vivid anticipation of wanting the tournament to start and _begging_ for it to come as soon as possible.

And yet now, he can't even picture himself standing on that court.

 _It's disgusting._

He thumped his head against the vending machine behind him. He knows that thinking about it won't change anything. He's resigned himself to the fact that what he felt... is unnatural. Regardless of what Nana-san might think, nothing good could come from these feelings.

So he told himself to get over it. The plethora of girls who came and went, who had declared their affections for him had moved on quickly enough. He was sure he would too. One day he'd look back on this and be rightfully mortified. Maybe even laugh at how silly his past self had been.

And yet.

A part of him didn't want to get over it. In his mind, volleyball had always been and will always be first. It was the only thing that mattered to him in a world full of noise and idle distractions. But Hinata Shoyo, short and clumsy to a fault, he _was_ volleyball. He encompassed the very spirit, the very element of what Kageyama valued in the sport, and when he looked at the shorter boy, he saw a fiery blaze; too bright to ever look at directly but burning too brilliantly (beautifully, his mind supplies) for him to ever look away.

He shook his head.

It didn't matter what he thought. Hinata had made his feelings clear enough, had brushed Kageyama's aside as though it merited no attention.

And yet.

Damn it all if Kageyama didn't care.

So what if Hinata didn't feel the same way? Kageyama doesn't know what would become of these feelings of his; if it'll ever amount to anything, if it'll be nothing more than retribution for all those times he disregarded the endless confessions as nothing more than a nuisance.

What he does know, though, is that Hinata was struggling with something he's unwilling to share with the team. Something so distracting it was messing with the one thing he was most passionate about. But if Hinata doesn't tell him anything, how was Kageyama supposed to help him?

Kageyama shuts his eyes, a frown making its way to his brows. He hears the art club members chatting away, feel the minutes tick by, turning to hours. His joints feel stiff from the inactivity. When he opens his eyes again to look at the time, it is late... Practice would be over by now.

A couple of girls were passing by the area, squealing amongst themselves.

"And then Tsukishima-kun just carried him in his arms! I mean, he didn't look like the type-"

"Yeah but Hinata-chan is super small to begin with. Doesn't take much to carry him-"

And just like that Kageyama is on his feet. Blood rushed to his head, making him unsteady.

 _A memory of him standing on the court resurfaces._

 _A setter who's afraid to toss,_ _ **what a joke**_ _._

 _And then a flurry of movement, so fast it was like seeing light._

" _I'm here!" and he was, not knowing the impact those words had had on Kageyama._

Maybe it wasn't his place to pry, to meddle and to attempt to fix... whatever it was that bothering Hinata.

But damn it all if he wasn't going to try.

 **THE MOON**

The unconscious boy looked peaceful in the folds of the sterile, white blankets. Tsukishima used this time to observe him and noticed how pale his skin was, how bruised the underside of his eyes looked.

He ran some theories in his mind, all of which were equally appalling and unbelievable. Had Hinata's relationship somehow turned abusive? Had he been hurt by the older man? And if so, why hadn't Hinata sought help?

Romantic relationships had always been a mystery for him. Sure he had had his fair share of confessors (none of who were genuine in their disposition, he was sure) but it always seemed like more trouble than it was worth. And his peers who had talked of love... what did they know of love? The bespectacled boy crossed his arms and leaned against the metallic chair, then looked at the ceiling.

Either way, he would never know for sure until he heard it from Hinata himself. There was nothing to do but wait. The hours ticked by.

The blond boy had decided to stretch his legs a bit and walked to the window, glancing outside, when the shorter boy suddenly gasped awake. Hinata looked around the room in a frenzy before he noticed Tsukishima's relaxed position. Hinata halted, and then seem to collect himself.

"You're awake." Tsukishima said redundantly.

He received a weak smile in return.

"I don't remember how I got here." Hinata said.

"You fainted so I carried you." He deadpanned. The shorter boy turned an impressive shade of pink, clearly embarrassed. "It doesn't matter," Tsukishima waved it away easily. It was the least of his concerns anyway. There was an uncomfortable silence that followed before Tsukishima spoke again.

"About that man..." Hinata flinched at this. Maybe he had been hoping for Tsukishima to pretend it never happened, or to at least never bring it up. If it was anyone else, would Tsukishima have let it go? Maybe, maybe not. But watching this whole thing mess up Hinata (and subsequently the entire team) was getting too frustrating. So Tsukishima, despite never having meddled in anyone's personal affairs before asked, "Is he forcing you to do this?"

Hinata presses his lips together, forming a hard thin line. He doesn't look at Tsukishima but with the way his shoulders tensed defensively, the taller boy knew he hit a sore spot. That was, until Hinata spoke.

"It's just a fling." The boy then turned further away from Tsukishima, as though he didn't want to be seen. Tsukishima felt the frustration from the past few days steadily coming back, as though it circled overhead like vultures.

"Bull. Shit." He gritted out. "You're obviously unwell and stressed, and given the fact that you vomited-"

As quick as it was unpredicted, Hinata flung a pillow straight at Tsukishima, the taller boy barely having time to block it with his arms. The pillow flopped to the ground, giving a clear view of the fiery-headed boy who was panting on the bed.

"What do you want me to say," He all but whispered, "that I liked it? That I wanted it?" He looked up and Tsukishima recoiled at his expression. "Say Tsukishima, have you ever even had sex before?" It was said like a taunt, like mockery. It did not sound like Hinata at all.

But then the smaller boy blinked, once. Twice. As though only just waking before he turned away. Had Tsukishima been paying attention, he might've noticed the horrified look marring the boy's face. But Tsukishima was still reeling from the crude remark, an angry blush forming on his face.

His pride didn't deem to answer the question so haphazardly thrown to his face, so instead he says: "You were the one begging me not to tell the team," Cold anger manifesting within him, "and then fainted right there before me. So forgive me for asking about your wellbeing like any normal person would."

"You wouldn't understand..." Hinata said, still looking away. "Besides, what I do with my own time does not concern you."

"It does when you're clearly messing up everyone's pace in practice."

The fiery-headed boy gritted his teeth.

"Volleyball, volleyball... Every. Single. Time." He has a manic look in his eyes and when he turns to face the bespectacled boy, all Tsukishima sees is condescension. "Is that all you guys can see?"

The dark, coiling emotion that Tsukishima had ignored came crawling back with a vengeance. The feelings grew worse, fueled by the fact that he couldn't give an indifferent retort. Hadn't he said the same thing just a few months ago?

Instead the bespectacled boy felt a haughty smile make its way to his lips before he even realized it.

"Well if being a horny teenager is all _you_ can see, don't mind the rest of us peasants then. Maybe all that sex is clogging your miniature brain. Don't deny it, I saw you walk inside the love hotel yesterday." He doesn't know why he felt compelled to mention it to smaller boy. Maybe he wanted to get back at him in some way, but the flinch he received was not nearly as satisfying as he thought it would be.

The smaller boy kept quiet. From where he stood, Tsukishima couldn't quite see the spiker's face, but if Hinata fisting the bed sheet was any indication, then it was only a matter of time before Hinata exploded. There was silence, made up of all the unspoken things Hinata have yet to say.

Then the door swung open, revealing their out of breath setter as he comes bursting in.

Kageyama zeroed in on Hinata, worry etched on his face as he sees the shorter boy sitting on the bed.

"Are you alright? Is this why you skipped school and practice?" And though he meant well, his timing couldn't have been worse. The fiery-headed boy visibly shook, having been pushed beyond his limit.

"Just leave me alone!" He yelled, his eyes shining. "What I do has nothing to do with the both of you!"

Baffled by the sudden outburst, Kageyama looked at Tsukishima with confusion. The taller boy looked away, still upset and angry at Hinata's offhanded comments. Kageyama, instead of adhering to the mood and dropping the discussion comes on stronger, trying to reason with Hinata.

"We're teammates." He said, as though that explained everything. The dark haired boy walked hesitantly towards the shorter boy, "I don't know what's going on right now... but I know that much. We're supposed to stick up for each other- and people are counting on us. On you." But then Kageyama stops short, seeing the expression on Hinata's face.

"I don't care." He said flatly. The words died on Kageyama's tongue. He opened his mouth but nothing came out. Tsukishima clenched his fist, seeing red. The smaller boy seemed oblivious to these changes within his teammates as he looks up at Kageyama and droned on, "I don't care about volleyball." Kageyama freezes.

A moment passes. The stunned look on the setter's face is then replaced with a perplexed frown. As though he couldn't quite comprehend what Hinata had just said. Like starting on a familiar problem only to end up with the wrong answer.

"What are you saying? Volleyball..." He grabs Hinata's shoulder, wanting to shake some sense into the smaller boy. "Volleyball is everything." And Hinata has this unfocused look in his eyes when he says,

"Maybe if you're obsessed. Maybe if you have nothing better to do with your time."

And Tsukishima just _snaps_.

"So whoring yourself is better?"

The regret he feels is instant.

A niggling voice in the back of his mind berates him heavily, telling him he's let his emotions run loose again. The smaller, fiery-headed boy elicits a sharp exhale, as though he's had the wind knocked out of him. As though his lungs refused to supply him with air.

And suddenly Tsukishima is all too aware of Hinata's trembling shoulders, of the way his eyes shuttered closed; as though to reject whatever it was going on at the moment.

At Kageyama's shocked expression, Tsukishima was about to say something to offset his earlier comment, but Hinata was already shaking Kageyama's hand away and pushing himself off the bed. Hinata stood up and only when the smaller boy had distanced himself from the two of them, did Tsukishima notice the subtle limp, the guarded way he hugged himself.

"Stay away from me." He whispered. "If you're all so fucking worried about the tournament, then I'll resign from the club and you can find someone else to replace me."

The infirmary door swung open, revealing the nurse.

" _Ara_ , why are all of you here?"

Hinata visibly grits his teeth before adamantly walks away. Kageyama quickly got a hold of his arm, stopping him on his tracks.

"There's no one like you." Kageyama said. Tsukishima had never heard him sound like that, strained and desperate.

The shorter boy yanked his hand away.

"Then find someone better then." And without bothering to look back, he stalked out the door.

Kageyama runs after him while Tsukishima stayed behind to explain to the nurse.

Suffice to say that everything was a mess.

* * *

/

/

Author's Note:

Sorry for the late update! My laptop's screen went haywire, had to send it to the shop but it's okay now! My laptop screen is perfectly peachy and my wallet is lighter that when I splurged on my PSvita. ... This christmas would be a sad one. I apologize to family and friends who would receive bargained items I got online. Please forgive me.

Beta-creds once again jia . kameda :)

manga . geek . 3: Not quite there yet, I'm still a sadistic bastard for prolonging Hinata's torture. Gomendasai... m(_ _)m


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